A Glimpse Beyond The Stereotypes
by gNatRat
Summary: Ginny dares her friend to go flirt with an unknown Slytherin, unaware that this mystery man could hold the key to her heart. What's up with the flirt? Why is the girlnextdoor such a rebel? Take a look beyond the people you thought you knew. DONE!
1. So much for summer

Disclaimer: Again, if I owned Harry Potter I'd be beating the living hell out of the person who thought it'd be a dandy idea to make Sirius have rotted teeth in the movie. I do however own plot and the following characters: Alexis Jenkins (created from two of the names of friends at my school… highly coincidental that a name close to it belongs to a character from a fic elsewhere but for clarification I didn't steal it) whom was based on my best friend Mandy's (author of Gilded Lily) personality, Astella, Larry Delwinger, Tristen, Valerie, and Jason with the assistance of Mandy. Some conversations she also assisted with because she's a genius.

Mandy: Don't forget the stunning looks and the extremely intelligent wit.

Author: And the modesty, oh, the modesty.

"So much for summer," Ginny Weasley muttered as she stepped into the grand and unusually large library of Hogwarts. She was now a fifth year and was bored with her usual schedule of classes she could pass while sleeping through; she decided to roam in what became her favorite place, the library. Out of the corner of her eye she saw vivid browns, reds and oranges falling at a steady pace through the large window. Fall had set in. School had set. Inadvertently, chaos had set in- especially with the Quidditch rivalries.

"You know Ginny, summer was pretty dull," Commented her new friend from Beauxbatons, Alexis Jenkins. They had met over the summer after Ginny's third year and instantly clicked after agreeing that the Sweet Water All Stars were all-together better than the Fitchburg Finches for the US teams.

"Yeah but we weren't in school. That's the whole point of summer, to have fun!" Ginny replied as she read a few book titles and walked on to a different shelf.

Her flashy red hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but a few bangs crept out and shadowed her eyes as she gazed into the sea of literature.

"Oh come on Ginny! At least this way we can see more boys!" Alexis said happily as she eyed a group of seventh year Ravenclaws sitting at a near by table reading a Quidditch magazine.

"Boy nut!" Ginny said as she grabbed a book and headed for Madame Pince's desk.

Madame Pince was reading the wizards version of Romeo and Juliet.

"I'm in boy withdrawal." Alexis chirped. "So sue me."

"How far have you gotten Madame Pince?" Ginny asked as she handed the book to Madame Pince.

"I just got to the part where Romeo sees Juliet dead with the glowing fairies around her." Madame Pince sniffled as she wiped her pale cheeks with a disgustingly yellow handkerchief.

"Don't worry Madame Pince, if you get too sad, just read A Midsummer Nights Dream or something." Ginny said patting her hand.

"Bless you child." Madame Pince said as she continued reading and weeping.

Alexis and Ginny hurried to the common room as to avoid the delay of reading Witch Weekly.

"So, what's it say my friend?" Alexis asked as they both jumped on Ginny's bed and rummaged through the pages in search of articles.

"It says that blue and yellow are out and red and purple are way in." Ginny said with a sarcastic tone.

"You've got to be kidding me! Green has always been the 'it' color, that and black leather. Hint, hint." Alexis said elbowing Ginny with a smile.

"Okay, you can borrow my boots. But AFTER I make an appearance." Ginny said mischievously.

"Bout damn time but who are you expecting to show up? Some handsome Adonis?"

"Yes, I'd like to order a blonde, with spectacular eyes, muscles, a bad streak, and a good grade in transfigurations." Replied Ginny in a very horrible Southern drawl.

Alexis roared in an equally horrible Southern accent, "Cause Lord knows you're failin'!"

Both erupted in laughter.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the diabolical duo themselves-! Alexis and Ginny!" The voice of Valerie, Alexis' sister, floated to the two. "So, Ginny, what are you up to now a days?" Valerie asked as she walked in and sat down in the chair next to Ginny.

"Nothing really, Val. You?" Ginny returned as she put down her monthly article. She smiled as her friend broke into details of her fascinating day of boy shopping and teen zines.

The day was rather long for the young and restless Ginny Weasley. Aside from the fact that she was still having train-lag, which was much like this muggle "jet lag" but from being on a train for an unhealthy amount of time, Ginny had spent a better part of the day staring at the cracks in the ceiling of the library. Deciding that there might be something else more meaningful for her to attend to, she got up and walked away from it all.

As she entered the Gryffindor Common Room, she overheard a conversation between her friends Astella, and Alexis. "I seriously think I am in love!" Astella screeched as she clapped her hands perkily and flashed a dazed look in Ron Weasley's direction. Ginny grimaced.

"Well, I'm just fine with Ginny's old scraps." Alexis said as she caught Ginny listening. "Harry Potter is my type of guy!" Alexis made a phone out her hand. "Hello? Boy-Hut? I'd like a brunette, with silver wire glasses, brilliant green eyes, a sun kissed tan, Quidditch-made muscles, loyal, and hung like a ..."

"ALEXIS!" Ginny shouted, disgusted at her friends behavior all the while diving to clamp her hands over the mouth about to release SERIOUSLY inappropriate context into the room.

"He is right there!" Astella whispered loudly.

Alexis ignored them and after shoving Ginny aside and straightening herself up, brought her right index finger to her glossed lips and rolled it around in her mouth. She cocked her head a little to the right and winked, bringing immediate attention from her marked victim. He grinned in reply.

"The fish has taken the bait." She said proudly after pulling out her finger. She looked at it, and said, "Works like magic."

"Good grief..." Ginny muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh Ginny," Alexis said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes, "A girl must have a bit of fun sooner or later!" Alexis chirped as she skipped away.

"I love her but still… I swear she's going to be a whore." Astella said after a few minutes of silence.

Ginny shot Astella a look. "Oh come on, give her more credit than that!" Ginny paused. "She's gonna be a gold-digger."

"You're too sweet Ginny," Astella replied smiling as she shrugged. "You're right. She's too smart to be a whore. However, I just remembered that Harry Potter has a huge fortune."

The next week they went to Hogsmeade on a crisp Saturday afternoon. They fell into a line and were directly behind a group of unfamiliar boys. (Sixth years according to Alexis' radar.)

At the top of her lungs she pointed at one and screamed excitedly, "Ooo! Rich guy, rich guy, rich guy!"

Astella asked, "How can you tell?"

"That butt was **made** by a Firebolt!" Alexis replied.

"How can you tell?" Ginny asked, cocking her head to one side to get a better view. Once she did she whistled. "Damn!" Although Alexis would have burst into laughter upon hearing the influence she had on her normally sane friend, she couldn't hear as she was slightly detained straining herself to get a better look.

"Do you think I go to Quidditch matches for the game?" Alexis demanded. "Besides, I spent enough time looking at Harry's ass to understand the work of a Firebolt."

Ginny cocked an eyebrow. "If you're such the expert, why don't you go flirt with him right now? I bet you could get his house password before the line is small enough to actually enter Hogsmeade."

"Why, Ginny Weasley, I accept your challenge. Toodles!" And Alexis sprinted off towards the blonde beaut.

"Hey there, Firebolt butt!" Alexis commented as she slipped her arm into the nook of his.

"Glad to see someone notices my hard work." He replied with a grin as he licked his lips slowly chapping lips. Long time waiting outside of Hogsmeade.

"That's my point in life. So, you free for a quill and parchment moment in your life?" Alexis raised a slender eyebrow and tilted her head as she smiled mischievously.

"Why should I give you dedicated time out of my hard day for this 'quill and parchment moment'?" He asked raising his eyebrows and cocking his head in turn.

"Because I'm gorgeous, love Quidditch players, and I know 2000 ways to use a broom and I don't mean flying!"

"First, I need to meet the girl behind the beauty. How about you spend the afternoon with me?"

"Damn! Gin is gonna win!" Alexis muttered, stomping her foot.

"Win what?" He asked.

"Oh, this silly little bet that I could get your house password before this line was, you know, normal." Alexis waved him off.

"Well, I could give you the password and you could spend the day with me." He suggested.

"See what you could get for having a good butt? ME!" She conjured up some parchment and an inked quill. The mystery man began writing the number on her back and after he was done, Alexis waved it in the air triumphantly yelling, "I got it, Gin!"

Alexis turned back to the mystery man and asked, "By the way, I don't know your name."

"Why do you need to?"

"So I know what to scream out in the middle of the night." Alexis zinged innocently.

"I like you."

"If I had known it was this easy, I would have gone after that Firebolt butt of yours earlier!"

After the departure of Alexis the bright and vivacious, Ginny and Astella spent the most of the afternoon wandering around the stores looking for candy to get fat on and magazines to take back and brood over for hours on end analyzing exactly when-due to the astrology article- they could meet the love of your life. Returning back to the main square with a bag full chocoballs, fizzing whizbees, sugar quills, lemon drops and pumpkin pasties and another with all the most recent issues of Witch Weekly, Transfiguration Today (Ginny needed some extra notes), and a few episodes of The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle.

With seemingly a full load and quite an eventful day, they went into the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer.

Not too much later did Alexis slide into the chair by Ginny with a hardly unnoticeable grin on her face.

"I have met the fox of the year, hottie boomaltie of the month, definitely ass of the century, well, next to Harry's... what was his name? Danny? David? Dennis? It's D-something or other."

"Describe him." Astella said as she rested her chin on her hands. Astella was amazing with remembering names, numbers, birthdays… it was dull though sometimes.

"Well, he had silvery blonde hair, the most STUNNING gray eyes, Quidditch muscles, but he wasn't a Gryffindor. Because I pay more attention to Gryffindors because they always fall for the little finger thingy," She said speeding up a bit. "I mean, look at Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, Justin, Colin, Neville, Dennis, Ernie.."

"Whoa, slow down, Lexi! What do you mean, Ron? You've kissed my brother?" Ginny demanded.

"Not really kissed him, I just," Alexis made rotating motions with her fluttering hands near her mouth, "Had him, you know, drooling. However, I have compared and those twins have very different styles of kissing."

"The last time they were at Hogwarts was in our fourth year!" Ginny protested. "They were seventh years!"

"Um, oops." Alexis said, ducking under the table. "I didn't mean it Gin, really, it was just so tempting."

"Tempting to WHAT?" Ginny shrieked as the image came into her head.

"Compare, experiment, you know—Oh, wait, you wouldn't. Oh, never mind. Well, let's order some butterbeer." Alexis said clapping happily and hopefully dropping the subject.

Hello all wonderful and faithful readers (yes, all you few people). I am revising this story because I've thought and thought and thought and it was really a good story but I was asleep half the time I wrote so know I promise to look at it earlier in the day. Which I've done know. It's not even ten o'five here yet! WOOOT! GO ME! Anyways, reply with a "I like it" or a "I don't" or a "I didn't notice nothing". Any will help me. I added in some details, adjectives, made up phrases etc. PLS REVIEW! (And read my other fics… they're better than this!) MUAH AND KISSES TO YOU ALL!


	2. Draco, the girl nextdoor

"Oh, look, Astella, Ginny. I'm Barney the Fruit Bat!" Alexis exclaimed taking a swig of her butterbeer like a celebrity endorsing it, just quicker. She pulled the bottle slightly away from her lips and the bottle's contents spilled all over the place, covering her new shirt in sticky goo.  
  
"Smooth move, Don Juanita!" Ginny joked over the roar of the group.  
  
In the meantime, Alexis had whipped out her wand and cleaned herself off. "I'm just batty for butterbeer!"  
  
The group continued to laugh and soon things were down to giggles and resuming conversations. Their Ravenclaw friends joined them after the Barney the Bat incident.  
  
Just then, the Mystery Guy that Alexis had seduced into providing the Slytherin house password, walked in with a group of his friends.  
  
Alexis began to laugh and retold the story of her conversation with him. "Ginny, Astella, all of you, I must tell you something that will kill you because you laughed so hard! Okay, so I was flirting with that D-something- or-other bloke and all of a sudden, this line pops out of my mouth. I was just thinking of the whole Firebolt conversation we had and I said, I know two thousand things to do with a Firebolt and it has nothing to do with flying."  
  
The group giggled hysterically and suddenly they heard a very intriguing voice. A very sexy male voice, Ginny noted.  
  
"And you haven't yet showed me any of them."  
  
"Hello there, handsome." She said with a very slight blush. "You ready for the ride?"  
  
"I thought it didn't have anything to do with flying."  
  
"It doesn't!"  
  
"Ginny, Astella, Alexis, girls." Came a rather, geeky voice from behind the voice.  
  
"Hey there everyone!" Harry said as he took a seat next to Astella and Ron sat next to his little sister.  
  
"What's he doing here?" Hermione asked as she sat down next to Harry.  
  
"Who?" Ginny asked cluelessly.  
  
"Potter! Weasel. Granger. Well, the whole dork troop is here." Said Alexis' beau.  
  
"Hey," Ginny stood up angrily. "Don't diss the last name, buddy! Or you'll end up with a black eye!"  
  
"Sit down, Ginny." Ron said as he, too, stood up.  
  
An astonished look came from the Mystery Man's face as he slowly looked around at the group.  
  
"Exactly who are you?" Astella asked as she scooted over in her seat a little.  
  
"A snake in the grass." Hermione hissed as she whipped her head around in disgust.  
  
Ginny made no effort to talk but her friends chimed in, "He's Alexis'. All hers. Not ours. Look at her."  
  
Ron and Hermione, and especially Harry chorused, "What?"  
  
"It was Ginny's idea!" Alexis shrieked as she pointed to Ginny.  
  
"Ginny!" Hermione, Ron and Harry chorused yet again.  
  
"Well, who is this enemy of yours any ways?" Ginny yelled as she crossed her arms.  
  
"Draco Malfoy, at your service."  
  
Alexis slapped her knee yelling, "That's his name!"  
  
"You forgot my name?" Draco shouted a little offended.  
  
" Don't be sad," Ginny said patting his shoulder than wiping her hand on Ron's shirt. "She forgets everyone's name unless she's been watching their butts for a really long time, not that she hasn't been with you, she just pays more attention with the Gryffindor butts at the Quidditch matches because she sees them more often. Like Harry's and Seamus' and Ron's, and she even kissed Fred and George just for comparison, even though that's really gross!"  
  
"We get the POINT, Ginny!" Alexis hissed through barred teeth.  
  
"You look at my butt?" Harry asked in bewilderment as he stood up.  
  
"It's a really nice one!" Protested Alexis defensively.  
  
"What about my butt?" Draco demanded.  
  
"Oh, she uses that Firebolt line on everyone!" Ginny shooed him away.  
  
"She hasn't used it on me." Ron grumbled.  
  
"You don't have a Firebolt." Ginny reminded him.  
  
"That might be it." He considered.  
  
"Ginny, this is all your fault!" Alexis roared.  
  
"My fault? You didn't HAVE to accept the dare, you know!" Ginny shouted defensively.  
  
"You know what, Lex? It would be great to get some time alone." Draco said as he grinned.  
  
"HEY, THAT'S MY LINE!" Harry pointed at the smirking Draco.  
  
"You know, Draco," Alexis said as she fanned her face with her hand. "This shouting has gotten me a little flushed. Let's go grab an ice cream back at the castle!" She said, latching on to his arm.  
  
"Five Knuts was it?" Astella asked as she pulled out her purse.  
  
"Yep. Did enough damage didn't it?" Ginny replied. Everyone was looking them at the moment.  
  
"You were right," Astella began and Ginny joined in as they watched Draco and Alexis walk off. "Gold digger."  
  
Alexis returned to the room that night with her shoes in one hand and jacket in the other. "Draco is an absolute doll! He's polite, friendly, he listens, he talks, he gives good advice, and he has a really nice ass and he is hung.."  
  
Ginny covered her ears repeating, "No, Lexi, no!"  
  
"I was just teasing Gins, get real."  
  
"So are you going to go out with him again?" Astella asked as she sat up in her bed, hugging her knees.  
  
"Hell no. He's more of Ginny's type than mine." Alexis replied.  
  
"What?" Ginny whispered loudly, but she found that her friend had fallen asleep already.  
  
The next morning Ginny awoke and found a note on Alexis' bed reading,  
  
Dear Gin and Stella,  
  
I'm off to the triple W, that's Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Stella. Off for some unnamed product. Watch your lunches dears! Toodles!  
  
1 Lex  
  
2 Isn't it the most adorable nickname? Draco gave it to me!  
  
"How much you want to bet she gets a password while she's there, Stella?" Ginny inquired with a grin.  
  
"Nothing. I don't want to keep losing my money." Astella muttered, glowering.  
  
"It's not our fault she's so damn attractive." Ginny reminded her.  
  
"But it's your fault for choosing the good side to bet on!" Astella murmured, going back to sleep.  
  
"Well, it's all we can expect out of her." Ginny said. "It may be the only thing she finds herself good at.  
  
Alexis had dark brown hair down to about three inches past her shoulders, her eyes were like two deep pools of the best hot chocolate you could buy, and she was so full of life that it was no wonder no male could stand just being friends. She had legs that went on for days, and a light, golden complexion. Despite her long legs, Alexis was categorized as petite, judging by her Magical Health Analysis. It promised that she would not grow any more, and that in standard measurements, she was only sixty-four inches tall.  
  
None of the fifth year Gryffindor girls were unattractive.  
  
Ginny was pretty in that girl next-door type of way. She sort of stunned you. She had dark auburn curls down to her mid-back and warm brown eyes. Very much like Alexis'. She had long legs and a very firm figure with a creamy complexion. And unlike Alexis, she was pretty tall for her age. Standard measurements- sixty-seven inches tall.  
  
And Astella was pretty in that, teen-queen type of way. She had black hair down to the end of her back and light blue eyes. She was in between than the other two, but had long legs too; she had a very tan complexion.  
  
Alexis entered the store and walked up to the counter where the twins were.  
  
"Hey George, Fred." She said nodding at each.  
  
"How could you tell I was Fred?" Fred asked as he looked up from his comic.  
  
"The lips." She smiled as she walked over to a shelf of sticky goo.  
  
She heard a "Huh?" from George as he awoke from drooling on the counter and placed his chin on his palm as he stared out the entrance. Alexis looked over once more to find that slowly, his chin slid down his arm and landed in a bowl of green goop.  
  
"What?" He mumbled as he picked his head up, the goop hanging on to his chin, and the bowl hanging on to the goop, quite a sight to see actually.  
  
It was definitely the lips with those two. Alexis thought as she fingered through a catalogue of items. She began to wander into the back as she heard the bell of the door ring.  
  
Wonder who that is.  
  
She heard the slightest bit of a friendly greeting from the front desk.  
  
Must be someone they know.  
  
As she picked up a book titled '2000 Ways To Eat A Cake', Harry walked down the isle.  
  
"Harry! What a surprise!" Alexis said as she returned the book to the dusty shelf.  
  
"Hey there, Alexis, and you have been here for.. How long?" He asked as he glanced at his watch. "It's only 10:00 a.m."  
  
"I like to get out early." Alexis replied as she read the labels of some fake foods.  
  
"And what are you doing here?" Harry asked as he picked up a square bottle with a purple ribbon hanging from the top.  
  
"Looking for props. I'm running low, you know." She smiled as she found a box titled 'Snake Soup, Give Your Friends A Scare At Lunch!' and took it to the front.  
  
"This will be it." She said as she grabbed the black bag that held her purchase.  
  
"Listen, I just wanted to ask you," Before Harry could continue, he was given a look he could never forget.  
  
"Yes, Harry?" Alexis asked as she put her hands on her hips, smiled, and cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"Um, I forgot."  
  
"You wanted to tell me, you forgot. Wow. I have that affect on people a lot." She sort of smirked at him.  
  
"Now I remember." He said, propping himself up on the counter with his elbow.  
  
"How?" Alexis asked, a sweet, yet coy smile tugging at her lips.  
  
"That smirk- reminds me of Malfoy, er, Draco. I wanted to ask you if you really thought his butt was better than mine." Harry said a bit cockily, flashing her one of his rare flirtatious grins.  
  
"If it makes you feel better, I was just telling the girls that I much preferred your butt to that D-something-or-other's." Alexis told him truthfully. "If you ever want to forget what you were going to say again, look me up. I'll be the one in the bikini."  
  
"In the middle of autumn?" Harry called out after her.  
  
She turned around and shrugged, "Risks, that's what life is all about!"  
  
"Welcome home, me dear!" Astella said as she finished her homework from Charms.  
  
"Hello, Astella. Where's Ginny?" Alexis asked as she set down the black plastic bag and began to search some of the rooms.  
  
"I don't know. She was here a couple of minutes ago. Guess she went down to the library." Astella replied.  
  
"Ginny, at the library, on a day like this?" Alexis looked astonished.  
  
"Don't be too surprised. You got a restaurant invite from Seamus and some guy named Larry or something." Astella said as she stuffed the parchment into a desk drawer.  
  
"Larry Delwinger?" Alexis asked. Astella nodded and Alexis fell down on the bed. "Larry Delwinger is going to Hogwarts? Oh, no. Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no!" Alexis screamed as she began to beat up her pillow.  
  
"Well, well. We have a lost wittle Weasel. Or are you just a scum friend of Potter's?" Draco said as he picked out a book from the shelf Ginny was looking at.  
  
"Piss off, asshole." Ginny said as she took out 'Famous Quotes And Phrases'. "And I happen to be the scum best friend of your date last night."  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
"What do you want, Malfoy?"  
  
"A lot of things money can't buy."  
  
"So it's not a whore."  
  
"Well, I mean, I wouldn't really call you that, but if that's your opinion,"  
  
"Oh, don't go all cliché on me and tell me you want me, you need me, you adore me, and all that other shit."  
  
Malfoy moaned heavily. "Ohhh! Ginny! You won't believe all the times I've cried out your name in loneliness! Ginny! Come back to me Ginny!" Ginny hid her face in her book. "That is your name right?"  
  
"Oh my god Malfoy! You wouldn't even know my name if I hadn't dared my friend to comment on your well-made Firebolt ass!" Ginny hissed.  
  
"So you think my ass is Firebolt worthy?" He said, cocking an eyebrow and licking his lips mischievously.  
  
Ginny threw her book at him and hissed, "Stop talking to me!"  
  
"My pleasure! So where is the choice location of our make-out session?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, you said stop talking and that usually means, do me, do me now!"  
  
"You horny little bastard! I'm not your usual type of girl."  
  
"Why else do you think I'm doing this? I want find out what's under those robes.. In that mind!"  
  
"Go find a tree to fuck or something." Ginny shot him a look as she walked away.  
  
"I'd rather it be you Ginny!" He screamed at her retreating figure. "Ohhh! Ginny! GINNY!" He shouted gathering everyone's attention.  
  
"Alexis, get your randy bastard of an ex-date the hell away from me." Ginny snapped the instant she saw her friend and Alexis looked up, as innocently as she could pretend to be.  
  
"Oh, Ginny! Has he flirted with you? That's great!" Alexis exclaimed.  
  
"Are you out of your bloody mind?" Ginny demanded. "It's horrible!"  
  
"You know, you should really thank me." Alexis told her and Ginny's jaw dropped. "I'm the one who got him interested in you in the first place."  
  
"And I'm supposed to thank you for that?!?!?" Ginny bellowed.  
  
"You know, you ought to be complimented. After all, he even talked to you, knowing who you are and all." Alexis informed her in the sweetest tone.  
  
Ginny stared at her in horror. She actually believed that she was doing Ginny a favor by setting her up with the cockiest, most egotistical, most bigheaded, handsome bastard in school.  
  
"After all, Draco goes for a more—Well, me. You know, the stunningly gorgeous flirt? Or Astella, the statuesque beauty." Alexis told her perkily.  
  
"So I'm supposed to be complimented that he finds me remotely attractive? I'm not that ugly, you know!" Ginny protested. Alexis waved her hand at her as if to say, 'Go on, silly girl, amuse me more.'  
  
"That's not what I meant. Draco is more for the stunners, the scene stealers, the names that come instantly with a reputation that says, 'Guess what? Draco's a man because he got so-and-so.' It's not that you aren't pretty, Gin. You're gorgeous. But you're gorgeous in that girl-next-door way. And Draco was never a girl-next-door kind of guy and now he is!" Alexis exclaimed excitedly. "We have to send you back in something far more interesting than that!"  
  
"So, you're saying he's the girl-next-door type?" Ginny asked cautiously after a moment. Alexis nodded. "So he's the girl next door?"  
  
Alexis groaned. "Oh, Ginny, you're totally and completely useless!"  
  
(A/N: That last bit was just done by Mandy, my best friend, who has taken a great interest in this fic.) 


	3. Making an appearance

"So what do you think?" Ginny said as she came out of the closet.  
  
"Oh, my god!" Astella screamed excitedly.  
  
"Here I go!"  
  
"Ron, Ron, Ron," Harry kept punching Ron's arm.  
  
"What is it Harry? I was just in the middle of a… WHAT IN THE HELL!!"  
  
"Hello, Ronald!" Ginny chirped as she sat down on an empty stool.  
  
"VIRGINIA!!" Ron yelled before passing out.  
  
"God dammit, Gin." Harry muttered. "Did you get that out of Alexis' closet?"  
  
"Some of it. Not the top or the boots."  
  
"Tell her to never wear that to a Quidditch match!" Harry yelled.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Cause I'd fly right into the stands! Right into the stands." He said, having one of his hands collide with the other.  
  
"It wouldn't be such a bad thing, she'd love to bandage you all the way up."  
  
"That sounds oddly interesting."  
  
"Ew."  
  
"You look amazing by the way." Harry said picking Ron's limp body off the floor after a few minutes.  
  
"Thank you." She was wearing a black sleeveless top with silver studs where the sleeves would have connected that had the British flag on the front, a black leather mini-skirt, and black leather stiletto boots that came to right under her knees.  
  
She stood up and walked to the local clothing store.  
  
"Draco," Goyle said as he nudged Draco in the back.  
  
"What is it you.. Oh, my god." His jaw literally dropped at the sight of Ginny Weasley in that outfit.  
  
"Ginny?" He shouted as he stepped closer.  
  
"Eat your heart out." She said with a coy smile.  
  
"My pleasure." He looked her over with satisfaction and a look of horror graced her face.  
  
"You still like me." She stated flatly in disbelief.  
  
"Of course, now you're more appealing than before." Draco said with a grin.  
  
"Dammit." She muttered to herself, stomping her foot.  
  
"Disappointed about something, angel face?" Draco said pulling the bangs out of her face.  
  
"Lookey, no touchy. And no, this isn't a paid service." Ginny snapped.  
  
"I hope not."  
  
"So, you still like me?" Ginny asked helplessly, hoping the answer was different.  
  
"Yes, I do." He admitted.  
  
"Which side of me do you find the least attractive?" Ginny asked after a moment, trying to talk her way out of this.  
  
"Someone other than you." He grinned at the same time she cringed.  
  
"Oh, ha ha. Come on now. Which one?" Ginny demanded.  
  
"Neither. I love them both. This one makes me horny, and the other makes me try harder. You pick." That sneerless grin was still plastered on his face.  
  
"A salad would make you horny." Ginny snapped.  
  
"What can I say? What's the biggie?" He had a half-smirk forming on his face.  
  
"You horny little bastard!" Ginny shrieked at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Yes, I am." Draco was unphased by the screaming.  
  
"Jack off!" She shouted.  
  
"You're invited." He told her and she scowled in disgust.  
  
"Go away!" She screamed helplessly.  
  
"Hey, I was here first, missy!" Draco said grabbing her hand. As soon as he had done that he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Of course it was against her will, but it felt really good. I mean really good. All of a sudden she felt his hand on her back and behind her head. At least now she could say she didn't have the power to get away.  
  
For a minute there, Draco thought she was kissing back. But someone pulling him back interrupted him.  
  
"MALFOY! GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF MY SISTER!" Ron yelled as he punched Malfoy in the eye. As Draco and Ron duked it out, Harry took on Crabbe and Goyle. Ginny had had enough and just left. She went back to the common room and left them there fighting over someone who wasn't even there anymore.  
  
Back in the common room, Ginny had retold every part to Astella and Alexis.  
  
"I told you! The guy is a fox!" Alexis smiled and laughed as she pictured Ginny and Draco kissing.  
  
"He kisses really good though!" Ginny admitted to her audience. "Really good."  
  
"And he has a great bod, so I've heard!" Alexis shrieked.  
  
"You mean you didn't find out for yourself?" Astella teased.  
  
"You flatter me! He wasn't my type. If it had been Harry, though.. Picture this. 'I'm sorry, Harry and Alexis Potter can't come to the phone right now so please leave your name and number after the beep'! Or better yet, 'Sorry we can't come to the phone, but we're fucking our brains out'!"  
  
"Ew. Sorry, I'll just stick to my usual, 'If you don't leave a nice message I'll kill you'." Ginny replied taking a sip of water.  
  
"If you had fucked each other's brains out, than what would you do next? I mean," Astella asked with a serious look. "Wouldn't you be dead?"  
  
"Personally, I wouldn't sacrifice my brains, they're too useful. But you can have my ass." Ginny said as she fell down into the large red recliner.  
  
"Well, Ginny, since I guess I don't have any brains, I have nothing to lose!" Alexis said as she began fantasizing about a picture of her, Harry, and seven children.  
  
"Trust me, seven children is not what's it's cracked up to be." Ginny said as she picked up the latest issue of Witch Weekly and flipped through the articles.  
  
"Hey, Stella, Lexi, they're offering waitressing jobs at the Three Broomsticks!" Ginny said as she slapped an advertisement on the table in front of the three. It read:  
  
Looking for seven fourteen-twenty year olds for waitress job at Three Broomsticks. Come see Dina Carvey for details.  
  
"Well, I guess this is where we suit up in life." Astella said as she sighed and sunk deeper into her chair.  
  
Just then, Harry came in carrying Ron.  
  
"You know, Ginny, you sure can cause a lot of trouble." Harry muttered as he dropped Ron on the sofa.  
  
"That is her main goal in life. She learned from me you know! I'm so proud of my little grasshopper!" Alexis said with pride.  
  
"You can cause a lot of trouble, too!" Harry said pointing at her and cocking an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, excuuuuuse ME!" Alexis said defensively, crossing her arms. "Somebody was enjoying this so-called 'trouble' if I remember quite well."  
  
"Oh, stop it. Lexi." Ginny interrupted as she stood up. "Anyways, we have to make the appearance for ALL three of us, remember Lexi?" She added with a mischievous smile.  
  
"Well, well, well. How much do you think I could make on tips for just walking through Hogsmeade?" Alexis asked.  
  
By this time Ron had regained consciousness and both he and Harry sighed and put their hands over their eyes.  
  
Alexis, Ginny and Astella walked down the streets of Hogsmeade with Harry, Ron and Seamus there for protection.  
  
Alexis was wearing a silky, chiffon, red dress that covered only a third, or three inches, of her thighs. It had ruffles around the spaghetti straps and the low v-neck. She was wearing sparkly, red, sling-back heels. She charmed her hair to have soft wave all the way down.  
  
Astella was wearing a bell-sleeved navy blue blouse and a denim skirt that ended right above her knees. She had her long black hair tied up into a ponytail with ribbons flowing out of it. She was wearing light tan sandals that had heels three inches high.  
  
And Ginny was wearing what she had worn earlier and she had her long curls down and flowing to the bottom of her back.  
  
"Hey, Gin, look. It's Pansy Parkinson." Alexis muttered under her breath as she clutched Harry's arm. She motioned for the other two to do the same. So Astella grabbed Ron's arm and Ginny took Seamus'. And none of the guys had problems with this.  
  
"Ginny! Alexis! Astella! How are all of you? And look! It's Harry, Seamus and… The other guy!" Pansy squealed.  
  
"It's Ron." Ron said annoyed as he glared at her partner, the other transfer from Beauxbatons, Justin Greeler.  
  
"Of course it is." Pansy replied. "Well, you all look so, and even Astella is…"  
  
"Sexy, attractive, beautiful, intelligent, and absolutely adorable?" Ginny asked with a smile as she tightened her grip on Seamus' arm. And of course, as I said, none of the guys were arguing.  
  
"I'll agree with that!" Justin said looking them up and down.  
  
Pansy elbowed him in the ribs and smiled. "You girls should be covered up, you'll catch a death of cold." Pansy hissed.  
  
"It's noon and it's eighty three degrees outside." Ginny smiled. "Last time I checked."  
  
"Well," Pansy said. After a moments silence she continued. "Come on Justin, let's go get some ice-cream!"  
  
Everyone had seen them in those outfits, and now they were the main attraction at Hogwarts. And every girl's enemy.  
  
Dinner was the hardest thing Harry could have ever put up with at that time. Alexis and Ginny hadn't changed their outfits, but Astella was back in jeans and a blue top. Harry rested his chin on his palm as he gazed down to the other end of the table where Alexis and Ginny were forced to sit so as to not distract the guys from eating dinner.  
  
"Ron," Harry began as Ron shoveled a spoonful of rice into his mouth. "I think I'm in love!"  
  
"Me too." Ron replied taking a quick swig out of his drink and eating like he normally does.  
  
"With who?" Harry asked as he stared at Alexis and her hair, eyes, figure and all.  
  
"This food!" Ron answered taking another swig and burping loudly.  
  
"Pig!" Ginny said, as she looked away from her brother with a scowl on er face. "He's a disgrace to the family, and humanity!"  
  
"The sad part is that he was born that way." Alexis commented as she fingered the chicken. "This feels like rubber."  
  
"That's why I'm not eating it. I'll stick to the salads and everything else. Oh, my god." Ginny said surprised as she looked over at the Slytherin table. "Look at Pansy eat!"  
  
Pansy was eating just as bad as Ron, and worse if can believe it.  
  
"Now THAT'S embarrassing!" Alexis said as she dropped her fork. "If Malfoy has the good taste to like me and you, why, oh, why did he ever take her to the Yule Ball two years in a row??"  
  
"School rules, dear!" Ginny replied. "No talking about bugs or plots of revenge at the table. And that includes assholes like him."  
  
"Oh, Ginny. Don't be so naïve! It's nice to have a guy like you every once in a while. I mean, we get good grades, we are decent people AND we are so totally hot. What's wrong with being worth looking at?" Alexis asked taking a sip from her goblet with a cocked eyebrow. She began winking at somebody and started the finger thing.  
  
"You're going to become famous for doing that. You're going to be called the 'finger thingy lady'." Ginny said craning her neck to see whom it was this time, though it wasn't of any importance.  
  
"It's a trick! Honestly. Its not like it does me any good. I'd love to hold down a steady boyfriend." Alexis argued taking her finger out of her mouth and waving at a boy down at the other end of the table.  
  
Harry began to wave and Ron got interested. "Alexis again?" Ron snapped as he returned to his eating process.  
  
"She's hot!" Harry said in defense as he rested his chin on his palm again. After a few seconds he began to slip. Unaware of what was going on, Harry smiled at Alexis and fantasized about kissing her. Slowly he slipped closer to the edge of his chair. And in a loud clatter of dishes and goblets, he brought the tablecloth and everything on it, down with him to the ground.  
  
Alexis sighed, saying, "Why do the best ones have to be so damned clumsy?" 


	4. Change of heart

"Okay," Ginny began. "Lets go over this again. Just in case." She added as she picked up the book and began to recite the rules for maintaining a cauldron for the Potions exam.  
  
"Well, Ginny. You've improved terrifically. Faster than most of my students!" Said Ginny's most handsome brunette tutor.  
  
"I sure hope so!" Ginny said closing the book. Just then Alexis walked in and dumped her daily purchase on the sofa.  
  
"Hey, Gin. So, you finally got a tutor. Oh, my god! He's so hot!" Alexis said as she looked up from her new black dress. "Did I just say that out loud?"  
  
"Max, this Alexis. She's very full of life." Ginny said as she introduced the tow.  
  
"You forgot the great looks and extremely intelligent wit." Alexis said proudly with a seductive smile curving her face.  
  
"And the modesty. Oh, the modesty." Ginny smiled at her friend's glare.  
  
But Alexis skipped away calling, "I'm getting some make up for you sweety, that sun doesn't do anything for your complexion!"  
  
"She means well." Ginny said hopefully. "She just wasn't born with any manners or tact."  
  
Ginny found herself in the library again as she searched for the perfect weekend book. She whispered the titles quietly to herself and came to a book titled, 'The Ways The Wind Works'. She began to read the summary until she felt the hand of someone caressing her bare shoulder.  
  
"Hello, there, angel face." Came the voice of Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Go away, Malfoy." Ginny said as she slid into a chair in the corner of the large room.  
  
"I believe we're on a first name basis now, Ginny." Draco said as he slid in after her and wrapped his firm arm around her shoulders. "After all, angel face, I've had a kiss of heaven."  
  
"You know, Alexis is going to be really, really upset when she finds out about this." Ginny snapped as she scooted away from him more.  
  
"Ginny, Ginny, Ginny. Calm down. Let's just let things take their toll." Draco said squeezing her tighter and pointing over to a girl making out with some guy. "Besides, she's having plenty of fun without me."  
  
"Dammit Alexis! Why can't you be focused on ONE thing at a time?" Ginny muttered under her breath.  
  
"You can't change everyone, Ginny. But some people have changed since they were little boys."  
  
"Are we talking about Alexis or someone else?"  
  
"Both, I guess."  
  
"So, you're saying you're a girl?"  
  
"Ginny, you're helpless!" Alexis shouted. "She thinks you are a great kisser, Draco!"  
  
Draco smiled at her, "You do?" Ginny swore she saw him blush.  
  
"Don't flatter yourself!" Ginny snapped standing up.  
  
"Please, don't leave." Draco said touching her arm lightly.  
  
"Is this a gentle side?"  
  
"I hope so."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"Because I don't want to be mean to you."  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"You're everything I need, want, and more."  
  
"And how did you come up with what you wanted or needed?"  
  
"I looked at you."  
  
Ginny was speechless. Was he being nice? Actually, nice? This was a first. But was it a trick? So many thoughts were swimming in Ginny's head so all she could is turn around and say goodbye.  
  
"You can't leave yet." He told her, standing up and grabbing her wrist. He spun her around to face him.  
  
"Why not?" Ginny asked quietly.  
  
"Because the last time we said goodbye, we kissed. I would kind of like that to be a tradition, you know?" With that, he gave her a short, sweet kiss and she didn't move. "Weren't you going somewhere?"  
  
Ginny shook her head dumbly. "Nuh-uh." With that they embraced passionately and kissed. They kissed every way they knew how. They just kissed.  
  
Ginny felt like she was going to die. Why was she not fighting?  
  
Because this feels GREAT, stupid!! Came a voice inside her head. And it was right.  
  
From a distance Alexis said, "Awwwww! It's just as I had planned! Except for that whole randy bastard part but… Oh well!"  
  
"You were saying Lex?" Came a male voice from behind her.  
  
"Oh, which one are you?"  
  
"You forgot my name?"  
  
"Ron, where's Ginny?" Harry asked as he returned to the common room. "And Alexis, and Astella?"  
  
"Did you check the library?" Ron said as he moved one of his pieces in a chess game against Seamus.  
  
Seamus remembered that he was paid to keep those two from the library until 2:00. It was 1:45. "Wait you guys! Harry, Alexis said she wanted you to meet her in the observation tower, and Ron, finish the game first!" Seamus said before they could get up.  
  
"Bye!" Harry said quickly as he rushed to the observation tower.  
  
Half and hour had passed and Ginny returned to the Common Room with smeared lipstick and her shoes in her hand.  
  
"Hi, bro." She said happily as she went to the girls dormitory.  
  
"Ahhh," Ron began, than he got up quickly and ran after her. "Uh- uh. Ginny. Ginny! GINNY!"  
  
"Hey there, Lexi." Ginny said as she sat up in bed and put down her book.  
  
"Hey there, girlie. So, how come you and Harry never became an item?" Alexis asked changing into her pajamas and then crawling under the covers of her bed. "I still can't believe I gave you window side." She added.  
  
"Why? Expecting a fly by in the night?" Ginny teased as she put her book on the dresser and turned off the lamp.  
  
"Maybe. You didn't answer my question."  
  
"I just didn't know him well enough. That, and he would never be my boyfriend anyway."  
  
"And I stole him already."  
  
"Yes you did, you little tramp!" Ginny yawned as she turned over.  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment." Alexis sighed and soon they were both asleep.  
  
A loud tapping came from outside Ginny's window. She awoke with a start and saw that it was two in the morning. Alexis had her headphones on and couldn't hear a thing, and they shared a room, so Ginny was the only one to hear it.  
  
"Ginny!" A voice came from the window. "Ginny open up!"  
  
As she did, she found Draco Malfoy holding tulips and roses to her.  
  
"For you, milady." He said handing them to her. She smelt them and smiled with delight. He offered her his hand and she just couldn't refuse. Then she woke up.  
  
"Huh?" Ginny said as she sat up in bed. It was eight in the morning and the sun was shining through the silky curtains of the nearby window onto her bed.  
  
"Morning sunshine." Alexis said as she threw some clothes down on her bed.  
  
"Was I asleep the whole time?"  
  
"The whole time of what? Ginny, are you feeling okay?" Alexis asked as she gazed on her friend with a look of confusion.  
  
"I had a dream that Draco flew up to the window and gave me flowers, and took me flying." Ginny retold her dream rubbing her head.  
  
"Well, sounds like a good dream to me. I didn't hear anything last night, and didn't even have my headphones on." Alexis said as she helped Ginny out of bed. "Upsy daisy!"  
  
"Where are you going?" Ginny asked after she got done washing her face and brushing her hair.  
  
"You mean WE." Alexis said as she threw the job offer article down on the bed for Ginny to see.  
  
"What will I wear?" Ginny smiled.  
  
"Well, you all seem very well qualified, so you may all have the jobs!" Said the cheery old lady at the Three Broomsticks.  
  
Ginny, Alexis, Astella, Valerie, Pansy, and two of Pansy's friends got the jobs.  
  
"See you out there, girls." Pansy said with a grin.  
  
"I'm going to bitch slap her someday!" Alexis said as she pounded a fist into her other hand.  
  
"After me you will." Ginny said as she pulled her friend back into the dressing rooms.  
  
"Ginny, do these seem, tight?" Astella asked as she stepped out from behind the changing curtain. "Or, rather, short?  
  
"Both." Ginny said, as she looked herself over and sighed.  
  
They were wearing short denim skirts, and blue halter-tops that went down to just above their stomachs with 'Three Broomsticks' written across the chest area.  
  
"Pansy must love her outfit." Alexis said as she scratched her head and spit her gum out in the trashcan. "Not that I don't!" She smiled mischievously.  
  
The day at the Three Broomsticks was long for Ginny. She had to deal with Pansy as her co-worker and Draco came to visit every other half hour. "Does it seem strange that he comes to see me, and never talks to me?" Ginny asked Alexis after a while.  
  
"You can't blame him though. He's got Pansy on his hiney." Alexis smiled.  
  
"You can't get over being smug at the fact that you fixed us up for twp seconds and now I hate him again, can you?"  
  
"You hating him wasn't supposed to happen. It just did."  
  
"Mhmm."  
  
"Really, Ginny! He likes you a lot. And you think he's a great kisser."  
  
"I do not."  
  
"You told me so yourself!"  
  
"I did not!"  
  
"And you scream out his name in your sleep, Draco! Draco! Kiss me you fool!"  
  
"I do NOT!"  
  
"Do to."  
  
"Do not."  
  
"Do to times a trillion!" (Mandy must lead such a simple life.)  
  
"Do not times a trillion plus two!"  
  
"Dammit, you always win." Alexis said with a sigh. "I guess I'll just have to flirt with Harry."  
  
"And this time I don't have to bet Astella that you'd get a password."  
  
"True! Very true!" Alexis exclaimed happily. She then looked over and smiled. "Ginny, Draco is staring at your ass."  
  
"He is not!" Ginny yelled. She was washing the tables and her butt was in perfect view for Draco.  
  
"Is to." Alexis said and then walked off triumphantly.  
  
"Dammit!"  
  
"Pansy, it's okay, I'm fine." Draco said as he tried to maneuver around the annoyance that in Pansy Parkinson.  
  
"Oh, but you have a spill on your pants!"  
  
"That's my zipper! And no, Pansy, it can't go down!"  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive!"  
  
Draco finally got around Pansy and sat down at the bar. He looked over at Ginny and then saw Ron and Harry walk through the door.  
  
"Perfect!"  
  
"Listen Harry, I'm not sure that I… Ginny, what in the hell do you have on?" Ron exclaimed as he saw what his little sister was wearing. Or rather NOT wearing.  
  
"Ron, it's my uniform. I couldn't help it this time." Ginny said directing them to a seat far away from the bar.  
  
"You cold have denied the job!"  
  
"Yeah, right. Like I was going to pass up this salary!"  
  
"But Ginny!" 


	5. The relationship between table dancing a...

"Alexis, get off the table!" Ginny said as her friend danced on a table close by.  
  
"I'm gonna put on…. my, my, my, my, my boogie shoes, just to boogie with you!" Alexis sang to the imaginary music of 'Boogie Shoes'. (A/N: If any of you find this familiar, remember that Mandy IS Alexis!)  
  
"Alexis!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Get off the bloody table and stop singing! You sound awful!"  
  
"Thanks for being a friend, Ginny!"  
  
"God loves you Alexis!"  
  
"Cause we all know no one else will!"  
  
"That's not true!" Harry interrupted as his eyes surfed over Alexis' every curve.  
  
"Thanks Harry!"  
  
"I swear she's going to get into a lot of trouble if you keep on encouraging her like that Harry." Ginny said with a sigh.  
  
"I can't help it!" Just then Ron and the rest of the Quidditch team came up.  
  
   
  
"Listen guys." Came the voice of Draco Malfoy as he stared into the Three Broomsticks at the young female Weasley as she went about her daily career. "Keep Weasley and Potter from Ginny for a few seconds or you'll regret not doing so."  
  
"Sure Draco." Crabbe said as he and Goyle walked into the Three Broomsticks and sat down at a table while Draco sat at the bar.  
  
"So, Ginny, what's up?"  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Your dorm password."  
  
"No."  
  
"Ginny! You make my heart ache!"  
  
"I hope not."  
  
"But you do! I can't help but scream out your name at night."  
  
"Now there's a scary thought."  
  
"Why do you hate me?"  
  
"Because of everything you are."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Because you really DO kiss bad."  
  
"I do? I'll have to work on that."  
  
"Don't bother doing it for me."  
  
"I will." Then he walked off leaving her angry as usual.  
  
"Alexis! Get off the table!" Ginny yelled as she slammed a mug down.  
  
"Alright Gins, don't have a cow." As she tried to step onto the nearby chair she slipped and fell right into Harry's arms. "My hero!" She yelled in that bad southern accent.  
  
"Oh, my god. Too much subtlety." Ginny sighed sarcastically.  
  
"Hey," Ron said putting his hand on her shoulder. "She's your friend."  
  
"Gee, thanks. That makes me feel a lot better." Ginny muttered, watching Alexis engage in her usual flirtation with Harry.  
  
"No problem." Ron followed her gaze, and saw that Alexis was getting frustrated, and Harry was getting nervous.  
  
"There's nothing really WRONG with Alexis, just with her subtlety. And the fact that she has none." Astella added as she wiped down the counter.  
  
The next day went as it normally did, except there was something wrong with Ron. Ginny didn't know what. Harry didn't know what. Not even McGonagall knew. But everyone was pretty sure Dumbledore knew.  
  
"Ron, what is up? We are family! I MUST know!" Ginny complained at her brother's reluctance to telling her what was bothering him.  
  
"It's nothing Gins. Really."  
  
"Than why are you acting like you have your undies in a bind?"  
  
"Maybe they are!"  
  
"Ron! Come on! Please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Meanie."  
  
   
  
Back at the common room Alexis and Ginny sat alone. After the silence was too much to bear for Alexis she sighed and then yelled in her most raspy and hateful voice, "Why doesn't he ask me out already?!?"  
  
"Maybe that's why."  
  
"Gins… Well, I'm not that bad am I? Answer me!"  
  
"What? Stop bothering me!"  
  
Just then the Quidditch team walked in with a new boy in their group.  
  
"Ooo." Alexis said. "He looks cute. Gins, Stella, come with me!" Alexis said grabbing her friend's arms and then leading them into the crowd. Once they got up close Alexis saw someone rather revolting. "Oh, I'm sorry," Alexis began. "You looked cute from far away." (A/N: All Mandy!)  
  
"Alexis!" Ginny hissed through barred teeth.  
  
"You must ignore her. She has this problem with subtlety. She doesn't have any." Astella said.  
  
"Alexis! Anyways, he's not THAT ugly!" Ginny began and than realized what she said. "Dammit, Alexis! You're a bad influence."  
  
"Oops!"  
  
The next day Ginny and Valerie sat in the library with Seamus, who was now going out with Valerie, and Harry.  
  
"Harry, if you don't ask Alexis out soon, she's going to burst. And then you won't have anyone to ask out." Valerie said putting her hand on Seamus' leg.  
  
"I can't! She's so, so, provocative."  
  
"That's her point in life."  
  
"Precisely. She will keep on doing it!"  
  
"Oh, Harry. Just ask her out." Ginny said opening her book to her place and then continuing to read down her page.  
  
"Gins," So everyone called her. "I can't help it."  
  
"Yes you can!"  
  
"No I can't!"  
  
"So what!"  
  
"Hush!" Came the voice of Madame Pince.  
  
"Just do it, Harry!" Ginny said as she stood up and walked off. She walked past the potions room and found Pansy trying to 'seduce' Draco.  
  
"Draco!" Pansy said pouting and sitting on his lap.  
  
"Pansy, get off!"  
  
"Draco!"  
  
"Pansy, get off! Just move!"  
  
"But Draco, I'm so comfy!"  
  
"Too bad!" Draco yelled standing up and leaving Pansy sitting on the ground.  
  
"Draco!" She yelled after him.  
  
"That was scary." Ginny said as she smiled at the surprised Draco.  
  
"Ginny!" He exclaimed, surprise.  
  
"What a revelation! He didn't call me Weasel." She seemed to be showing off to—No one.  
  
"Not you." He said finally.  
  
"Not me what?"  
  
"You are NOT the sexiest person in Hogwarts." He said flatly.  
  
"And you know this how?"  
  
"Because only the sexy people kiss me." He explained.  
  
"Good point. I wouldn't dare kiss you."  
  
"Wanna bet?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.  
  
"No, thanks."  
  
"How come? Do you think you'll kiss me?" He asked hopefully, inching closer.  
  
"No. Doing business with you is like talking to a dog. You both wag your tails and say okay and the next thing people know you're drinking out of a toilet."  
  
"You think so highly of me." He smirked at her, trying to lean in for a kiss. She turned her head away.  
  
"No, I don't." She insisted half-heartedly.  
  
"I was being sarcastic." He said, grinning and putting his hands on her hips.  
  
"And I was being serious." She said pushing him away and turning around.  
  
"Ginny, my love!"  
  
"Piss off Draco!"  
  
"Why do you hate me?" He asked running up beside her.  
  
"Because it seems normal, that and I've hated you for the past years, so it seems like a tradition to do so every year."  
  
"How sweet." He murmured, rolling his eyes.  
  
"No, sweet would be a life without you!" She snapped, on the brink of a breakdown.  
  
"And hell would be life without you." He whispered sweetly in reply.  
  
"Leave me alone!" She demanded.  
  
"Hey, you talked to me first."  
  
"Urgh!" Ginny said frustrated and clenching her fists, she stomped off. 


	6. Attention grabbing and, where's my shoes...

"Hey, Lexi, do you know where I put my shoes?" Ginny asked as she tossed a few things around in her closet and moved on to Alexis' closet.  
  
"No, dear, I don't." Alexis said as she threw a few zines onto the bed and joining Ginny in the Common Room on the search for her shoes.  
  
"Ron!" Ginny said as she stood outside the boys' dormitory door. "Harry, Seamus, Ron, Neville, Colin, one of you guys! Open up!" She demanded banging on the door.  
  
"What do you want, Ginny?" Answered a shirtles Seamus as he opened the door and peered out at the angry red head. "We just woke up! What is it?"  
  
"Do you know where my shoes are?" She asked putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head to one side while raising her eyebrow.  
  
"A pair of shoes. You woke me up for a pair of shoes?!"  
  
"Oh, don't have a cow."  
  
"A pair of shoes!" He said as he closed the door with a sigh.  
  
"Lord, he got mad over that?" Ginny asked as she fell into a chair back in the Common Room.  
  
"Yeah, it's already noon and they're not up yet. They must've gotten legally wasted last night." Alexis muttered as she took a seat nest to Ginny. "Gins, did you hear the announcement yesterday?"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"The one about the dance in two weeks."  
  
"Of course."  
  
"So, did Draco ask you?"  
  
"No! Anyways, I wouldn't accept."  
  
"Oh, please Gins. He is absolutely irresistible! And he is hung like a.."  
  
"Alexis! If he's going to be my boyfriend, you can't talk about him that way."  
  
"If! If! Oh, come on Gins! He needs to be your boyfriend! Our lives, and your life depend on it."  
  
"Oh, please. He does not need to be my boyfriend."  
  
"You said so yourself!" Alexis said as she began humming the tune to Moon River.  
  
"You are too happy in the mornings, my friend." Ginny said with a smile.  
  
"So, what are we doing today?"  
  
"Anything I suppose."  
  
"Yes, please!"  
  
"What do you have in mind?"  
  
"Oh, you'll see, and wear!"  
  
As Ron and Harry sat in front of the fire place playing chess, and the others where crowded around an unnamed magazine, Alexis, Ginny, Astella, and Valerie walked out of Alexis' and Ginny's room wearing a revised version of what they had worn earlier in the year. And much more revealing.  
  
"Hey, Harry." Alexis said with a grin.  
  
"Hey, Lexi." He muttered, not paying attention. She groaned in frustration.  
  
"Harry Potter, you may not be the Boy Who Lived after all when I get done with you!" She screamed, and he looked up, watching her storm off.  
  
"What?" He asked innocently.  
  
"Potter, a girl needs to feel special when she's come to talk to you." Ron explained simply. "Check, mate."  
  
"I'll never get the girl stuff like you do."  
  
"Hey, I'm not going to take that as a compliment! Wait a second, what was Ginny wearing?"  
  
As Astella, Ginny, Alexis, and Valerie walked into the Great Hall, everyone looked up at the attention grabbers. Valerie came along this time because she didn't want miss out on any of the action.  
  
Astella was wearing a blue halter-top and a denim skirt that went down about three inches of her thighs. With that she wore black boots and had her hair up in a braided ponytail.  
  
Ginny wore a black tube top with the words 'Buy Hunter' written across the chest area and a black leather skirt that went down a little shorter than Astella's. She had on black knee high go-go boots. And she had her curly red hair (that as I said resembled maroon) hanging down her back all the way to the top of her butt.  
  
Valerie was wearing a red strapless dress with red stilettos. She had her hair in a fancy up-do that was chin length and flipped in towards her face.  
  
And Alexis was the worst (or to them best) of them all. She had on red hot pants and a red silk corset with sparkly black lace. And she wore black fishnet stockings and black pumps.  
  
"Girls, it is time!" Alexis said as she smiled at the crowd of onlookers.  
  
"Hey there, Draco." They said as they passed him and his posse group.  
  
"Back off, girls. He's mine." Ginny said with a smile and winked at Draco. She separated from the group and sat down next to Draco who was as surprised as anyone. Alexis stood not too far away. "Hey there, boy toy."  
  
"Hi." He managed to squeak.  
  
"So, what are we doing today?"  
  
"Dunno."  
  
"And how are you?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Oh, are we speaking caveman now? Can I try?" Alexis asked enthusiastically. "Me. Good. You?"  
  
"Do you speak more than one word at a time, dearest boy toy?" Ginny inquired innocently.  
  
"Dunno. I mean, yes." He said regaining his pride and cocking his eyebrows.  
  
"Well, than. Good for you." Ginny smiled, gave him a little peck on the cheek, and walked off to join the others.  
  
"Wow." Draco said as he watched 'his girl' walk off.  
  
"So, girlie girl, did you amaze him?" Alexis asked as Ginny walked up beside her.  
  
"I think so." Ginny replied with a smile.  
  
"Well, I 'm glad we did this. I was getting bored." Alexis said as she took Valerie and Ginny's arms and shook her hips to the rhythm of her gait.  
  
"Of course you were. What with all that experience in Dorkus Academy." Valerie smiled at the reaction of her friends who had never been to an American academy.  
  
"Our old school in the States was a drag so I woke up the world." Alexis said simply and winked at some Ravenclaws and began her little finger thingy trick. "I mean, the boys there are so predictable. Fuck and go, fuck and go. Same old, same old."  
  
"Oh, Alexis. You're a lost cause." Ginny scowled at her friend who smiled, so obviously her target took the bait. The other girls giggled, however, because the target, as Alexis was horrified to discover, was an ex- boyfriend.  
  
"Well, I could be found." Alexis told her flatly.  
  
"We all hope." Astella, Ginny and Valerie chorused.  
  
"We all hope? I'm the one who hasn't been asked out by bloody Harry Potter yet!" Alexis exclaimed, her mood turning sour.  
  
"Lexi, dear, in case you haven't noticed, there are a lot more worthy fish in the sea." Dean suggested with the raise of his eyebrows.  
  
"And we thought Alexis was a lost cause." Valerie muttered, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend's best friend. 


	7. Nice and round, and really sick

(A/N: I want to thank everyone for their r/w's and a I especially want to thank Junbug for opening my eyes on my fashion fetish, a mistake I assure you. also for A.A.J., Alexis is a character formed from the beginning name of a girl in my science class and the last name of a friend in my Art club. Iapologize for the coincidence and I hope I haven't offended you.)  
  
Outside the window, Ginny saw little white dots falling to the ground, snow. Ginny smiled as she sat up in her thick, feathery bed. She sighed and stood up to face the day.  
  
"Ginny, what are you doing?" Astella asked as she found her friend scribbling all over her potions notes in the library.  
  
"Huh?" Ginny didn't even know what she was doing until her friend shook her awake.  
  
"Ginny, I think you need help. You also need those notes!" Astella said trying to erase some of the scribbles.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because of our test today, stupid!" Ginny wasn't expecting that.  
  
"Test? Oh, shit!" she yelled picking up her books and returned to the common room.  
  
"I could deduct points for that my child!" Madame Pince replied to the outburst.  
  
"Ginny, eat something first." Alexis said as she grabbed Ginny's arm.  
  
"I'll join you guys later. okay?" Astella asked with a smile.  
  
"Okay. See you then Stella!" Alexis smiled happily as she and Ginny made their way to the Great Hall.  
  
"Ginny, what do you think of me?" Alexis asked as she dipped her glass back and forth.  
  
"What in the world do you mean?" A few people had already gathered into the Great Hall, one of those few being Draco.  
  
"I mean, who am I?" Alexis asked again as she out the galass down and sighed. "Never mind. So, what are we going to do today?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know. Anything I suppose." Giunny said with a shrug. But even after Alexis had changed the subject, Ginny was still curioous of why she had asked that.  
  
"Well, I guess we could ask Dumbledore about that little thing I asked you about last night?" Alexis suggested with a smile.  
  
"Hmmmm, you sure you want to do the decorations for the dance?"  
  
"Of course. And we could sign people to help too. Harry, Seamus, Val, Dean, Draco,"  
  
"Draco? Now where did that come from?"  
  
"Well, oh, come on Ginny! He's a fox!"  
  
"I know." Ginny sighed a bit as she looked over at the blonde beaut, who, was looking back longingly. "He is, isn't he?" she waved a bit and blew a kiss, just for fun to her, though. He had blown one back.  
  
"Oh, my. Ron's here." Alexis said, but since Ginny wasn't paying attention (Draco) she had to shake her a bit to wake her up. "Ginny, Ron's here." alexis repeated.  
  
"Ron who?" After a moment of silence she realized what Alexis had said. "Oh! Ron, my brother, Ron." Ginny said with a smile and started to drink her iced tea.  
  
"Hey, Ginny, Alexis." Ron said as he nodded at each and took a seat across from his little sister.  
  
"Hi there, Alexis." Harry said as he sat across from her.  
  
"Hey, Ron." Astella said as she walked in and took a seat next to the red head. "Ginny, Alexis, Harry."  
  
"Astella! How are you dear?" Alexis asked as she smiled mischeviously at her.  
  
"Fine, Alexis, fine." Astella said, cocking her eyebrows.  
  
"So, Ron, what have you been up to?" Ginny asked as she took a bite out of her toast.  
  
"Why?" Ron asked with a confused look on his face.  
  
"Just wondering, gosh, you don't have to get all nosy on me." Ginny said, crossing her arms.  
  
"What's wrong?" Astella asked as she saw the worried look on Ron's face.  
  
"I need to talk to you Ginny." Ron said as he pulled his sister away from the table. After they were out of earshot, he began telling Ginny the bad news he had heard. "Ginny, mom's sick. Real sick. They don't know what she has, but I asked Dumbledore if I could be the onje to tell you. They found out today. She had been coughing and know she can barely keep food down. I found out today."  
  
"Ron, I," But before she could finish, her brother embraced her. This was bad news for Ginny, considering that she had always known her mother to be a strong person and a healthy person at that.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ginny." Ron said as she looked into his eyes.  
  
The morning was hard for Ginny and Ron. They both had to 'suck it up' to get through the day and they, and the teachers of course, were the only ones who knew. They wanted to keep it to the family.  
  
"Ginny, tell me!" Alexis begged as they left their potions class. The next class was potions and they shared it with the Slytherins.  
  
"Alexis. Don't sweat it, okay?"  
  
"Ginny, you MUST tell me! It is my duty"  
  
"Alexis, lay off. It's none of your buisness, anyways."  
  
"But, Ginny!"  
  
"No!"  
  
Ginny and Alexis took a seat at the table in the last row, and Draco took a seat next to Ginny, while a transfer from Durmstrang, Jason Kelly, sat next to Alexis. Jason, was indeed, a hottie. A fox, in fact. He had thich brown hair and deep blue eyes, with a tan that made him seem as if he was born from the sun. He had a perfect build and a the best facial features. But Alexis only saw his butt.  
  
nice and round! She wrote Ginny.  
  
Alexis! Ginny returned.  
  
what?  
  
"Listen, Ron, I think Ginny is going to need a bit of supervision." Harry suggested as he, Ron, and Hermione walked down to their Herbology class in Greenhouse 1.  
  
"Me too. Anyone offering?" Ron asked the group of friends.  
  
"Not me, I need to watch out for Alexis." Harry said sighing at the sight of Alexis, Ginny and Astella returning from their potions class.  
  
"Look at her." Harry muttered as he eyed her. "She's so beautiful, smart, clever.."  
  
"Okay, Harry, we get the point." Ron said as he walked quicker to approach his sister. "Ginny, I need to talk to you."  
  
"Not more bad news I hope." Ginny asked as she and her brother were out of earshot.  
  
"No. Just checking up on you."  
  
"I'll be fine, Ron. I promise. I'm a big girl now, remember?" Ginny said a little brighter.  
  
"Good for you, Ginny. Good for you. Listen, if yu need to talk to me, I'm always here." Ron offered.  
  
"I know. That's what gets me through the day of Alexis." Ginny smiled as she and Alexis rejoined and Astella went off to her classes and they went off to their Charms class.  
  
Ginny woke up that night and didn't know what to do, so she did the only thing she could. She got out of bed and pulled on her fluffy houseshoes and walked out of the Gryffindors Common Room. She walked downa flight of steps and found what she was looking for. She rapped on the portrait a few times and Jason Kelley answered.  
  
"Is he here?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I'll get him." Jason relplied ashe offered her entrance.  
  
"Thanks." Ginny said with a smile. "What are you doing up so late?"  
  
"Studying. He is too. Let me go get him.Oh, here. Have some a cocoa." He offered her a glass and she accepted (of course), and went to go and get him. A few minutes later a shirtless Draco Malfoy came into the room and saw Ginny sitting there. A look of suprise grew across his face as he sat down beside her.  
  
"Ginny? What is it?" He asked as he saw her sad frown. "Is there something wrong?"  
  
"My mom is sick. Really sick." After that she started to cry. And as he put his arm around her she continued between sobs. "Draco, I don't know what to do."  
  
"Don't worry, I'm here for you." He replied as he shook her and rocked her back and forth. "I'm here."  
  
"I know. I know."  
  
"What does she have?"  
  
"They don't know."  
  
"I'm sorry, Ginny. I really am."  
  
"I know. I'm sorry I have to bother you with this, Draco, but I don't know who else I could go to. I mean, Astella and Alexis wouldn't really understand. Well, Alexis and Valerie have had enough problems. And Harry and the rest are too obsessed with Quidditch and how they look. And then, there was you. You came into my life, unlike anyone I had ever met. You're nice, clever, sweet, and you can understand me. Kind of." She said wiping tears off her cheeks. "But you have a perfect life. I'm so poor, and trash to your ex-girlfriend."  
  
"No, Ginny. No." Draco said shaking his head, a little taken aback. "You are NOT trash! You are amazing. And beautiful. And you are not poor. You just aren't the richest person in the world." He said smiling a bit.  
  
"And you are." She said meekly.  
  
"No. No, Ginny, no. I need you to listen to me. Ginny, I think I'm in, love with you."  
  
"What?" Ginny asked as she looked at him a bit confused. "In love? With me?"  
  
"Yes. Of course. Why not?" He said taking her hand. "Ginny, you are magnificent. And I love you."  
  
"Oh, Draco!" She hugged him tightly and they both just sat there in the Slytherin Common Room. He had finally professed his love to her and they were both happy, except for the fact that Ginny's mother was sick. And that's what woke her up that night.  
  
"Draco?"  
  
"What is it, Ginny? I'm right here."  
  
"I had a nightmare." She sat up beside Draco as he began to caress her back, she shivered at the coldness of the room. "It's so cold."  
  
"It gets that way." He replied as he draped a blanket over her bare shoulders. They weren't very well-dressed, but they didn't make out, as Ron would have assumed.  
  
"Why does it get so cold?" Ginny asked as she moved closer to Draco.  
  
"I don't know. Dad brought me up in a life that didn't need a heater, I guess." Draco shrugged at the question.  
  
"You didn't have that much of a childhood, did you?"  
  
"Not really. I was brought up to take after my dad, so I guess you could say I had a lonely childhood." He said with a bit of a smile.  
  
"Are you calling your father lonely?"  
  
"Most likely."  
  
"You are so mean." Ginny laughed as Draco pushed her down and began to lightly kiss her neck. (Does he sound cute now?)  
  
"What am I?"  
  
"A fox!" Ginny laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.  
  
"And you, my dear, are a flower. So sweet, so beautiful and lovely. Delicious and tender, kind and cute..."  
  
"Oh, you smooth talker."  
  
"Am I now?"  
  
"Ooo, yes please!" She giggled as Draco tickled her a bit and then smothered her with light butterfly kisses. "How did we ever survive so long without each other?"  
  
"I didn't, I thought about you all the time ever since I saw you."  
  
"Uh, really?"  
  
"Yes. When I saw you I thought to myself, look at that rambunctious red- head. I'm going to fuck her some day under her brother's nose and then I am going to marry her and give her plenty of, well, me for ten children."  
  
"And people wonder why I'm attracted to you." Ginny drawled sarcastically.  
  
"They do?" Ginny looked surprised at his hurt statement.  
  
"A surprise?" She asked with a smile, trying to cheer him up.  
  
"Yes, indeed."  
  
"Don't worry. At least Alexis supports this whole idea. Which means Harry supports it, which means Ron supports it, which means Astella supports it, and Valerie thinks you're hot and Seamus hates you, and.."  
  
"I get the point, Ginny."  
  
"Sorry." 


	8. The secret society of the Weasley males

(A/N I want to thank everyone for the reviews. I'm glad you all like it and please keep reviewing suggestions. Thanx!! Slytherins R Sexy, Alexis is the name of a girl in my science class and Jenkins is the last name of a person in my art club. Just thought I should let you know the origin, sorry for the inconvenience.)  
  
(B/N: Um, Slytherins R Sexy I adored the name, and said she would go with it. I'm sorry if the similarity hit too close to home, but it was completely accidental and I swear, if I had known that Alexia Jenkins was the name of a character you created, I would have told Nat (gitarstrngs) ASAP.)  
  
Ginny wasn't sure what to do the next day. In fact, she wasn't sure how to get into the Gryffindor's Common Room. So she decided to go to the library and say that she went to bed and woke up before everybody. A lie, but a good lie, so she thought.  
  
"Okay, so when Ron and everybody else wakes up I'll simply say that I was in the library all night." Ginny said to herself as she picked out a book and flipped through the pages.  
  
"A library, am I?" A deep and seductive voice came from behind her. A hand reached out in front of her a pulled the book away and then two luscious lips caressed her neck. As he pulled back the wide neckline to get to her shoulder, his other hand enfolded hers.  
  
"Mmm. A library indeed." Ginny replied as he turned her around and began to kiss her sweetly.  
  
"Well, Miss Weasley," Draco began. "When can I begin to call you my gal?"  
  
"Soon enough." Ginny replied. "Soon enough." She wrapped her arms around his neck as he did her waist and they began to kiss passionately. Just then, a familiar yell rang throughout the library as Ron ran at Draco who, to Ron, was manhandling his little sister.  
  
"MALFOY!!!! GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SISTER, YOU MANHANDLING PERVERT!!!!!" Ron's face was a delightful purple and his fists were clenched.  
  
"Oh, Ron. Go away, you spoilsport." Ginny said crossing her arms after pulling up her sleeve.  
  
"GINNY!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH, WITH," Ron continued yelling.  
  
"Draco Malfoy, the most handsome fox in the world?"  
  
"Oh, Ginny," Ron sighed before passing out.  
  
"Well, then. Guess he bit off more than he could chew." Ginny said as she stepped over her unconscious brother.  
  
"Can you actually pass off your brother like that?" Draco asked as he raised his eyebrows and cocked his head.  
  
"Duh." Ginny informed with a mischievous smile.  
  
"I love you!" Draco exclaimed as he dipped her into a kiss.  
  
The next day Ginny woke up bright and early and started off her day as she normally would. She woke up Alexis and they chose their wardrobe for the day. But first they did their hair. Ginny did hers as a ponytail that was charmed to be wavy and shiny and Alexis did hers to be the same.  
  
"Do you think I should wear the red halter and the black leather pants, or the blue tank top and the short denim skirt?" Ginny asked as she pulled a various amount of clothes out of her closet.  
  
"Hmmmmm. Do the red halter and the denim skirt." Alexis said as she looked them over a bit.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"You look great." Alexis agreed as she pulled on a tight pair of hip huggers and a tight white blouse with transparent sleeves. "How do I look?"  
  
"Great."  
  
"Terrific. Shall we?" Alexis asked, offering her arm. "Lets go have some fun!"  
  
"My, Alexis, I didn't know you had a blouse that didn't reveal everything." Came the voice of Pansy Parkinson as Alexis and Ginny walked into the Great Hall. Pansy and her posse weren't wearing much. That's about it.  
  
"Oh, Pansy, green is not your best color." Alexis muttered through barred teeth.  
  
"But it is, like, so yours." Pansy replied. "And Ginny Weasley. Well, at least I don't have to date that slimeball Draco anymore. The poor sap was heart broken when we separated."  
  
"Oh. And I thought it was him that separated with you." Ginny said with a fake look of despair. But then a smile crept across her face. "And to think, I stole a boy from you! The, Pansy Parkinson, has been defeated by me, Ginny Weasley."  
  
"Weasley! How dare you say something so, so, so,"  
  
"True?" Alexis suggested.  
  
"Argh!" Pansy and her posse walked off in a huff and Alexis and Ginny were left laughing all the way to their seats for breakfast.  
  
"Where have you guys been?" Ron asked as he pulled out a chair for his little sister. "And what are you wearing?"  
  
"I thought we had discussed this already." Ginny said as she accepted the chair and sat down across from Alexis, who had taken a seat next to Valerie. "They're called clothes, Ron. Clothes. I forgot the Secret Society of the Weasley Males doesn't exactly know the description, Skinny-Dipper."  
  
Ron blushed and shut his mouth.  
  
"Hey, you guys went boy hunting without me?" Valerie complained as she saw what they were wearing. "That is no fair."  
  
"Oh, Valerie. We haven't even started yet. So after breakfast, you can go and get dressed and we can all go out and have some fun." Alexis said as she patted her sister's hand.  
  
"I wish you had told me earlier. I have a date with Seamus today so I won't be able to."  
  
"Wait a second," Ginny interrupted as breakfast suddenly appeared. "You and Seamus are going? Oh, I forgot! If you two are a couple, how come he lets you walk around like us?"  
  
Eggs benedict, bacon, biscuits and orange juice filled the plates and glasses of each student's plate.  
  
"Because half the time he doesn't know about it, and the other half he's watching after me like a hawk." Valerie explained simply as her beau sat down quickly beside her.  
  
"Hey, doll." He said as he gave her a little peck on the cheek and began to eat his food.  
  
"Hey, babe." Valerie replied as she smiled at a group of girls who were eyeing Seamus. "Every girl wants him, and I have him." Valerie said victoriously as she waved at the girls and got Seamus to kiss her on the lips after he swallowed the mouthful of food he had shoved in his mouth.  
  
"What was that for?" He asked as he smiled and went in for another one.  
  
"Kicks." Valerie replied as she denied his access with a forkful of food into his mouth.  
  
"Yum!" He said in-between bites with a smile.  
  
"Pig." Valerie giggled.  
  
"Now see, I want a relationship like that." Alexis complained as she poked at her food with her knife. "But no, I have to be a one-night-stander."  
  
"Oh, you poor thing." Ginny said, cocking her eyebrow.  
  
"I'm not kidding either. You and Draco have your little secret one on one and Valerie and Seamus are practically doing each other at breakfast. But me, I'm single. Why don't the guys go in for the kill if I'm wide open?"  
  
"Well, maybe you're intimidating." Ginny offered.  
  
"Ginny! You are supposed to be my friend." Alexis said as she crossed her arms.  
  
"I was only giving you a few options. I mean, it could be anything right?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Ginny. I'm just a bit angsty, I suppose." Alexis said as she downed her juice and smiled. "Lets go, I mean, if you're done eating."  
  
"Of course. Now first, we have to go shopping at the new store in Hogsmeade."  
  
"Yes, please!"  
  
Ginny and Alexis walked down the streets of Hogsmeade catching the attention of every single male's, well, every male's in general, attention. They stopped by a few stores and picked up a few Quidditch things and a few school things. They also stopped by Fred and George's shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.  
  
"Hey shorty!" Fred smiled as he saw Ginny walk in. "Hey, George! Get in here! Hey there, Alexis." He nodded to her.  
  
"Wow! Hey there Gins!" George said as he hugged his little sister and nodded to Alexis. "Hey there, Alexis."  
  
"Hey guys. Listen, heard any word from mum and dad yet?" Ginny asked as she was released from George's bear-hug.  
  
"Not yet, Gins. Last owl we got told us she was sick, so we're not sure yet." George said as he frowned as little, but cheered up quickly as he always did.  
  
"Sick? Ginny, Your mum's sick?" Alexis asked. "Ohhhhhh." Alexis said with wide eyes.  
  
"Ohhhhhh." Ginny mocked in a higher voice.  
  
"Very funny, Gins."  
  
After Ginny and Alexis had picked up all their laughing pleasure toys, they went in search of tools for the dance.  
  
"Well, we'll need paint, brushes, ideas," Alexis began.  
  
"Brains," Ginny added with a smile.  
  
"Ginny Weasley and Alexis Jenkins! How quaint." Pansy said, wearing a new revealing outfit.  
  
"Pansy, didn't we already deal with you?" Ginny asked as she put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Oh, Weasel. I know that you know that I am great and you're not."  
  
"Oh, Pansy. I know that you know, that that's not true. And it's way to desperate for you." Alexis said with a grin. And then she and Ginny walked off, leaving Pansy and her posse trying to comprehend what she had said. 


	9. Ron knows, and everyone is scared of the...

Ginny was scared that Ron had found out what she had done, spent the night with Draco Malfoy. Sadly, he had.  
  
"GINNY!!!! HOW COULD YOU????? HOW--COULD--YOU!?!?!?!" Ron's voice rang throughout the Great Hall.  
  
"Lord!" Ginny muttered as she slid down in her seat. "Make him go away!"  
  
"GINNY!!" Ron bellowed as he stood above Ginny.  
  
"Ron, why can't you accept the fact that I like Draco, he likes me, we like each other, and there's absolutely, positively, nothing you can do about it?" Ginny asked as she stood up to face him and raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Because, Ginny, it is Draco Malfoy!"  
  
"Did someone call my name?" A voice came. Hands wrapped around Ginny's waist and a look of disbelief engraved Ron's face.  
  
"YOU!!" Ron yelled, pointing at Draco.  
  
"Yes, me. Problem?" Draco smiled and then kissed Ginny.  
  
"ARGH!!! Ron bellowed as he stomped off.  
  
"What did I tell you?" Ginny asked with a smile. "Soon enough."  
  
"And now I can call you my girl?" Draco asked as, he too, smiled.  
  
"That smile. It's a killer. And yes, you can call me your girl, doll." Ginny said as she and Draco kissed passionately.  
  
The voice of Alexis interrupted the two. "Not while I'm eating, Gins!" (Ha ha, giggles giggles, yaddy yadda, etc.)  
  
"Sorry, Lexi." Ginny smiled.  
  
"Harry, I need help." Ginny said as she sat down next to the thin brunette.  
  
"What is it, Ginny?" Harry asked as he put down his 'Monsters of The Wizarding World' book.  
  
"Alexis is going to die because of a Gryffindor who doesn't pay any attention to her."  
  
"Now, Ginny," Harry began.  
  
"No, no. Listen! He's driving her crazy! And she's going to start hating him if he doesn't do anything quick. So what should I tell this clueless chum of mine?" Ginny asked with a smile.  
  
"Tell him what to do, I suppose." Harry said as he took off his glasses and began to rub the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Well, he needs to ask her out, or else!" Ginny said as she patted hip on the shoulder and walked off.  
  
"Lexi?" Ginny called into their room. "Lexi, where are you?" There was only silence in reply. So Ginny decided to go and look in the library for her missing friend. She walked up and down a few aisles and decided to give up after a few minutes.  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
Ginny spent the whole day in the library and without the company of her best friend Alexis. She had pulled out a few books and searched through their pages to find out some clues are facts on her big project for Charms.  
  
"I can't believe I haven't found anything yet."  
  
"Hey, Gins." Alexis mysteriously appeared and took a seat next to her friend.  
  
"Where were you?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I was getting worried," Ginny began.  
  
"Oh, come on Gins, what's the real reason?"  
  
"And I thought that you were out making out with some guy without me."  
  
"I thought you had Draco."  
  
"You never said guests weren't allowed." Ginny said with a smile.  
  
"Good point." Alexis smiled and then walked off.  
  
"Hey, babe." Draco's voice came from behind Ginny the next day before Professor Snape came into the classroom. His arm went across her shoulders as he slid onto the hard bench beside her.  
  
"Does your ass hurt as much as mine does?" Ginny asked as she squirmed in her spot.  
  
"Wanna see?" Draco said, but after he received a light, playful punch from Ginny. "But, Ginny darling, it is Firebolt-made."  
  
"I'm talking about the friggin benches." Ginny complained as Alexis, Astella and Jason sat down on the same bench.  
  
"Hey there, girlie girl." Alexis said as she entwined Jason and hers arms.  
  
"From now on there should be a show called 'Hooked On Guys' sponsored and hosted by you, Alexis." Ginny sighed as she leaned back.  
  
"Thanks a lot for believing in my innocence, Ginny." Alexis commented sarcastically.  
  
"No problem, mi amigo."  
  
"Excuse me, I'm an amiga!" Alexis smiled.  
  
"Is anyone here, besides me, afraid of these two?" Draco asked as he cocked and eyebrow and smiled.  
  
"I am." Jason smiled as he raised his free arm.  
  
"Me too." Astella said, doing the same.  
  
"Well, don't be scared, it's just a horrible, horrible life waiting around for stupid, bloody Harry Potter." Alexis murmured with a sigh. She walked off sadly, grabbing a flower and twirling it around.  
  
"You know, that should have been me." Ginny whispered.  
  
"But aren't you glad it isn't?" Draco asked, beginning to tickle her. She slapped his hands away.  
  
"Trust me, D, the girls are in no mood to play when Lexi, the sugary spice girl, is depressed. Lexi's moods are contagious. Happiness equals happiness, sadness equals sadness." Jason told him and Ginny and Astella sat on the benches, moping and scheming. 


	10. Notes and detention

(A/N: When Ginny and Alexis are talking and there aren't any quotation marks, they are writing notes back and forth. Thanx! --NIX)  
  
The next day Ginny woke up a bit later than she normally did and found that Alexis was already up and gone, most likely due to matter of habit. So she picked out a white blouse, identical to the one Alexis had worn the other day and a jean skirt. She pulled the top of her curly auburn hair back into a clip and smeared some light peach lip-gloss on her lips. She pulled on her knee high leather boots and made her way to the Great Hall where she found Ron, Harry, Seamus, Astella and Valerie.  
  
"Hey, Gins, nice do." Astella commented as she pointed to Ginny's hair.  
  
"Thanks, Stella. Hey, Val, Seamus, Harry, brother." Ginny said as she took a seat next to Ron.  
  
"My Ginny, you look civil today." Ron said, sipping his iced tea.  
  
"My Ron, did you think that one up all by yourself?" Ginny smiled as Ron gave her a playful smirk and continued to sip his drink. "Heard any word from mum yet?"  
  
"Not yet, Gins. But we will." Ron replied, patting her hand. "I'm sure."  
  
Ginny smiled and began to take small gulps of her orange juice and eat portions of her food.  
  
"Ginny, why aren't you eating?" Valerie asked as she jumped out of Seamus' lap and sat in the empty seat next Ginny.  
  
"I'm just a bit worried about finals." Ginny said with a sigh.  
  
"You mean the finals two months from now?" Valerie asked sarcastically.  
  
"Very funny, Val. Very funny." Ginny replied as she cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Isn't she though?" Seamus asked. Right then Alexis walked in with Jason, Draco and Pansy.  
  
"Oh, no she isn't!" Ginny said as she saw Pansy's arm intertwined with Draco's.  
  
"Seek, doggy." Ron muttered as he laid his head back rubbed his temples.  
  
Ginny got up and straightened out her skirt. She smiled a bit and began a cool, slow walk over to where the group was standing while a trail of wolf calls and whistles came from behind her. Draco turned his head a bit and gasped as he saw his girlfriend smiling at the sight of the termite Pansy, practically chewing off his arm.  
  
"A gold digger now, Pansy?" Ginny asked as she surprised the whole group with her poise and calmness in the situation. Normally she would explode and come ranting and raving, but right now she was very calm.  
  
"Why keep your cool, Ginny, when you know your man is being stolen?" Pansy asked with an evil glare.  
  
"Because you have breakfast in between your teeth." Ginny smiled as Pansy began to rummage through her bag and pull out a mirror. After a few seconds she found the huge piece of egg crammed between her two front teeth and screamed at the finding.  
  
"How attractive." Alexis said with a laugh as Pansy ran off crying from humiliation. "Gins, that was cruel."  
  
"Oh, come on, Lexi. I had to." Ginny said as she latched onto Draco's arm, however, he didn't refuse.  
  
"Hey, doll." He said giving her a peck on the cheek.  
  
"Hey, babe." Ginny replied with a smile.  
  
"And to think I'M your friend and you have a steady relationship." Alexis drawled sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, there, there. Just because you're a gold digger doesn't mean you have to be sad." Ginny said.  
  
"If I was gold digger I should have gold, shouldn't I?" Alexis said and then walked off to class, Harry following closely behind. She turned a corner and then realized that she had forgotten her books. As she turned around she almost ran into Harry. She moved to the right, but Harry imitated her and did the same. So, she moved to the left, however, Harry was there too.  
  
"Come on, Lexi! Talk to me!" Harry pleaded.  
  
"Why should I? I don't talk to men unless I'm forced to because, they are significant to a female friend or relative, they are my own friend, or, he's considered proposing to me in the next twenty years."  
  
"What about Ron?"  
  
"Ginny, duh."  
  
"Seamus?"  
  
"Valerie."  
  
"Jason?"  
  
"Malfoy."  
  
"Malfoy?"  
  
"I would have had sex with him in the Great Hall to get you notice me, Harry! And he would have proposed to me during the first two minutes of our flirting, in case you hadn't noticed!"(A/N: Mandy all the way! This sentence was brought to you by long distance phone services!)  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Oh, my god. You are so clueless! Shit I'm late for class!"  
  
"No! Alexis, wait!"  
  
"Go away you horny, four-eyed, bow-legged, 300 pound, craw-eyed, dropped on his head when he was a baby, cheap, can't tell the difference between Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures, bastard, horklump!" Alexis yelled down the hall as she ran to class.  
  
"Ouch!" Came the voices of everyone in Gryffindor house besides Harry and the people younger than fifth years, as Ginny explained what she had heard as she waited outside the classroom for Alexis, and Draco waited for Ginny.  
  
Once Draco got to Potions class, which he wasn't late for, he explained to everyone what had happened. Even he felt sorry for Harry, and when Harry came into the classroom he had gotten two weeks worth of detention, which he would serve with Alexis.  
  
"I can't believe I got a weeks worth of detention because of what Mr. Potter made me do." Alexis complained, as she and Ginny made their way to Herbology, Valerie and Astella were close behind.  
  
"Come on, Lexi. At least this way you can get him back in detention." Ginny suggested.  
  
"I have to have detention with that?" Alexis scowled as they reached greenhouse 4 and walked in. They took a seat on the bench in the back and began to write notes back and forth.  
  
I can't believe I have to have a weeks detention, a week!  
  
It could be worse  
  
Like what  
  
You could be in for two weeks  
  
Thanks for the comfort, Gins  
  
No problem, Lexi  
  
Gins, what do you think Harry thinks of me?  
  
I don't think you care about anything else but that  
  
Yeah, right, just tell me, okay?  
  
Well, he likes you, happy?  
  
Yeah, well, that's just tough for him, because I hate his guts!  
  
1 I'm sure  
  
"And who knows what to mix with the soil to make sure the plant grows nice and strong?" Professor Sprout asked.  
  
Astella raised her hand and answered the question correctly, as Ginny and Alexis were shaken back into the real world. Once class had filed out Professor Sprout asked for the two to stay behind. "Now girls," He began. "I do not tolerate note passing in my classes. That's a week's detention for you, Alexis, and two days for Ginny. I'm sorry, maybe you'll learn a lesson, hmmm?"  
  
"What was that worse case scenario you were talking about, Ginny?" Alexis asked as she sighed.  
  
"Shut up, Lexi. Just shut up."  
  
"Hey, I'm the one with two weeks of detention, and one of those with Harry."  
  
Ginny turned around.  
  
"Ginny, is there something you're not telling me."  
  
"He got two weeks of detention."  
  
That day they were called up to detention in Professor McGonagall's room, joined by Harry and other select few.  
  
"Professor McGonagall?" Alexis raised her hand.  
  
"Yes, child?" The woman asked.  
  
"Do I have to sit next to Potter?"  
  
"When did you two enter the last name basis? To me, friendships are supposed to be going forwards, not backwards."  
  
"Ever since he became undesirable to be around." Alexis replied with a huff.  
  
"You're the one being stubborn." Harry muttered under his breath.  
  
"Well, Miss Jenkins, I'm going to have to fulfill your request seeing as you two won't last a detention without killing each other if I don't." Professor McGonagall waved Alexis to a table further back.  
  
"Thank you." Alexis said smugly sticking her tongue out at Harry, and getting the same from him back.  
  
"Oh. How mature!" Ginny drawled.  
  
"That's another detention. Miss Weasley, for that outburst." McGonagall snapped as she took her seat behind the tall oak desk. 


	11. Where's his underwear, and yes, I'll go ...

"Life, and life with Alexis Jenkins. One is fun, and one is… well, one is life with Alexis." Ginny muttered as she and Valerie walked over to the lake and sat down at the bank.  
  
"Speaking of Alexis, where is she? She said she would meet us here. In other words she would be here first." Valerie complained as a gust of wind blew her hair into her face. "Ugh! Damn this wind!" She yelled as she huddled up in her black coat.  
  
"There she is." Ginny said as she began to rub her arms over her blue coat.  
  
"Hey girls, thanks for coming!" Alexis said as she ran up. "I thought we might like to get to work early."  
  
"Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?" Valerie asked sarcastically.  
  
"Harry?" Ginny asked.  
  
"One and the same." Alexis replied. They began walking back up to the castle.  
  
"Why did we come out here in the first place if we were going right back to the castle?" Ginny asked as they entered a long corridor and made their way to the statue of the witch.  
  
"Because I had to drop something off in the forest." As Alexis said that a voice rang throughout the castle.  
  
"WHERE'S MY UNDERWEAR? AND WHAT ABOUT MY PANTS? WHERE THE HELL ARE MY SHIRTS?" Harry was running around the Gryffindor common room with a towel draped around his hips screaming at the top of his lungs. "ALEXIS!"  
  
"Alexis, you didn't!" Valerie giggled.  
  
"Yep. Gave them to the tree." Alexis smiled. "Thank god for Ginny being a Weasley. You naturally know where all of the secret passage ways in and out of this school are." Alexis added.  
  
"What can I say? It's a plus." Ginny replied as she entered the passage way followed by the other two.  
  
"Hey babe." Draco wrapped his arms around Ginny as customers shouted for more butterbeer.  
  
"Hey doll." Ginny said, continuing her route.  
  
"Don't I get a kiss?" Draco asked as he licked his lips and smiled mischeviously.  
  
"Well, if you want it that bad you won't mind waiting." Ginny smiled as she left Draco in a dire need of attention and a need for Ginny herself.  
  
"But I need you."(A/N: see he said it himself.) Draco said as he turned Ginny around and began to dance in place to invisible music.  
  
"And I need to do my job." Ginny said as she tried not to spill the jug of butterbeer on the floor.  
  
"But you're busy right now." Draco said taking the jug out of her hand and setting it on the nearest table.  
  
"Ginny, you can go ahead and take a break. It's eight already, anyways." Alexis said as she smiled at the two. Ginny looked out the window in the front of the 'tavern'. The sun had gone down and the sky was black. The light from the candles played across the walls as people began to file out in intervals.  
  
"I'll give you a ride home if you want." Draco smiled as his hands moved down Ginny's back to her hips.  
  
"I'd like that very much." Ginny whispered as the two pulled into a kiss. Just then Ron and Harry stepped in and saw the two romancing in the center of the room.  
  
"GINNY!" Ron yelled with his fists clenched.  
  
"Ron, we have discussed this already! Draco is now my boyfriend! Get over it!" Ginny hissed as she walked off in a huff.  
  
"Why you," Ron murmured. Ron's face turned red and slowly he walked up to the Slytherin. "Stay away from my sister!" and with that he punched Draco in the eye. As Draco backed up Ginny ran up to Ron.  
  
"Ron! How dare you! I am not a little girl anymore!" She pulled Draco's hand away to examine the wound. "Ron, just leave me alone!" Ginny yelled as she and Draco exited the Three Broomsticks.  
  
"Draco, I am so sorry." Ginny said as she sat in front of him a restaurant down the street. She dipped a piece of a napkin into a glass of water and began to pad Draco's eyebrow with it. Ron's sixth year ring had given Draco a cut and a black eye.  
  
"You didn't hit me did you?" Draco asked simply.  
  
"Well, no," Ginny began.  
  
"Than you have nothing to be sorry about." Draco said matter-of-factly. After Ginny finished dabbing his eye, she and Draco flew back to the castle. It was a silent ride and Ginny was beginning to fell uncomfortable.  
  
"Draco, I wanted to ask you something." Ginny whispered in his ear as they hovered over Hogwarts. "What made you like me?" Draco turned around slowly and starred into her deep brown eyes. The moon reflected in them and her hair seemed thick and shiny.  
  
"I like you because of your purity, your kindness, your beauty. And of all things, because it makes me happy to be with you." His hair wasn't greased back so his light, blonde bangs shadowed his gray-blue eyes. Ginny tucked his bangs behind his ears and smiled at him. As he smiled back, Alexis flew up on a stranger's broom.  
  
"Thanks for the ride!" she said as she waved. "What do you know, a Kodak moment." Alexis commented as she hooked her arm onto Ginny's. "Come on Gins, we have to get a good rest. Tomorrow we begin decorating for the dance!" Alexis said as she and Ginny made their way to the common room.  
  
The next day Ginny and Alexis woke up bright and early before the sun came up and dressed in such a rush that they never realized that they were both wearing one of the other's pair of socks. So, Ginny walked out with one of her blue socks and one of Alexis' green ones, and Alexis visa versa.  
  
"So, how are we going to do this?" Alexis asked as she scanned the great Hall for ideas.  
  
"Well, it's going to be like a Yule Ball, only not as big. So I guess we could paint one wall like a scene from Midsummer Night's Dream!" Ginny said raising her voice till it reached a happy climax.  
  
"I have a brilliant friend!" Alexis said as they went right to work. By the time the rest of the houses had woken up and were down in the Great Hall, Ginny and Alexis were on ladders painting the top of a dark blue sky with trees creeping out of the corners. Ron and Harry walked in followed by Seamus and Valerie. As soon as Ron saw his little sister so high up in the air he gasped and ran up to convince her to come down.  
  
"Ginny! That's dangerous! Come down!" He yelled up the ladder. Ginny looked down at her purple-faced brother and sighed.  
  
"Ron! I told you to leave me alone! I'll be fine you prat!" She yelled back. An uproar of laughter followed and Ron was silenced to his seat.  
  
"Ginny, do you think we could go shopping today for our outfits for the dance?" Alexis asked as she detailed some of the leaves.  
  
"Sure, why not? I'll owl my parents asking them if I could use some money." Ginny smiled meekly as Alexis blushed a little. She had forgotten about Ginny's money problem.  
  
"I'll pay for everything we buy today. How's that? Alexis offered as she looked over at Ginny.  
  
"I'm not complaining." Ginny agreed as they giggled.  
  
"Ginny, look at that necklace!" Alexis chirped as she pointed to a golden rose on a golden chain. "It looks like the one my step-mother gave me."  
  
"How is she?" Ginny hadn't heard about Alexis' stepmother in two years.  
  
"Dead." Alexis sighed. "No one knows why. She just croaked. And now I have to live with my real mother for the summers." Alexis always liked her stepmother more than her real mother, and everyone knew why. One year, Alexis' real mother came down to Hogwarts drunk and completely embarrassed Alexis. Now no one ever talked about.  
  
"Sorry about that. I know your real mum is bitch and all, but it could be worse." Ginny offered  
  
"How?" Alexis asked indignantly.  
  
"I can't say. It might come true."  
  
"Than don't think about it either, that could come true too."  
  
"I wish Draco was here."  
  
(A/N: Guess what,)  
  
"Hey there babe!" Came Draco's voice behind Ginny.  
  
"Wow! I'm good!" Ginny smiled as the two embraced and all three walked down the streets of Hogsmeade.  
  
"So, I was wondering what outfit you were wearing to the ball." Draco looked over at Ginny.  
  
"Why would that matter?"  
  
"Because I want our outfits to match." Draco smiled.  
  
"Are you asking me to the dance?" Ginny cocked her head and raised her eyebrows.  
  
"Are you saying yes?"  
  
"Yes, and yes, alright?" Alexis said with a smile. 


	12. Yelling, screaming, massaging, here, why...

(Short chapter but I hope you like it, a little confrontation and bad news though.)  
  
"Ginny! I just got a letter from Fred and George telling us mum's fever is gone!" Ron yelled across the Great Hall.  
  
"She's all better now?" Ginny smiled as she embraced her brother. (Wow! Now they're really getting along. Must be mum.)  
  
"Yeah, she's all better now." Ron looked into his little sister's eyes. "Ginny, she is all better. But,"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"She has something that doesn't make her sick, like fever sick, but she's got something." Ron sighed. "She's got cancer, Ginny."  
  
"Cancer?" Ginny could barely even whisper the word without breaking into tears.  
  
"They say it's not serious enough to kill her, but she won't be able to some things or do some things from now on." Ron said as he hugged his sister and rocked her back and forth.  
  
"Cancer?" Alexis sighed as she put her arm around Ginny. They were both in the Quidditch stands and the cold wind dried Ginny's tears.  
  
"Yeah. She won't die or anything, she just won't get better." Ginny sighed and saw two people walking across the field. "Alexis! It's Draco and his dad!" Ginny and Alexis backed up behind the stands and watched intently as Lucius Malfoy lectured his 'wild son'.  
  
"I don't want you around that Weasley filth again!" Lucius yelled, shaking a finger at his son. "She is nothing more than pathetic trash that we need not bother with! What was going through your mind at that moment? And that Jenkins girl!" At this time Ginny's tears were gone and her face was red and she was breathing heavily trying to restrain herself. Alexis, meanwhile was holding Ginny's shoulders and once her name was mentioned, her head snapped in the direction of the tall, thin man.  
  
"I love her! And she is not trash, or pathetic!" Draco spat back to his father. This brought a bewildered look to the face of Mr. Malfoy.  
  
"What did you say? Were you talking back to me?" Lucius Malfoy's face grew redder by the minute and his hand flew up to Draco's face. Draco fell to the floor as Lucius regained his pride. "NEVER talk back to ME!" He breathed and began to run his fingers through his hair.  
  
"That asshole!" Ginny whispered as she began to get up.  
  
"No, Ginny," But it was too late for Alexis. Ginny was already at the end of the stands when Lucius continued.  
  
"And that Jenkins girl is bad news. Her mother is a bitch and her stepmother was a whore." By this time Alexis was right behind Ginny and just as mad.  
  
"HOW DARE YOU HIT MY BOYFRIEND AND INSULT MY BEST FRIEND LIKE THAT YOU SKINNY, BITCHY, FEMININE, WUSSY, STUPID, IGNORANT, COCKY, EGOTISTICAL, INSENSITIVE, WEAK, NO-DICK, EVIL, CONNIVING, LITTLE, TWISTED, ON-THE-HIGH- HORSE, WOMANLY, ASSHOLE-ISH, BASTARD OF A PUSS-FILLED, GENETICALLY SCREWED UP, AND ABOVE ALL UGLY GNOME!!!!" Ginny screamed across the field, startling the two Malfoys.  
  
"Ye-yeah, what she said. Except, he's not my boyfriend." Alexis said as she stepped up to where Ginny was.  
  
By this time Draco was at his feet and was looking at Ginny in disbelief. She was wearing her black top, skirt and boots, and she expected to scare away his father?  
  
"And is you EVER say anything about me again I will personally castrate you!" Ginny yelled as she kicked Lucius Malfoy right in the nuts and kneed him in his head. "Asshole!" She spat as she watched him fall to the ground clutching his testicles.  
  
"G-G-Ginn-Ginny, how," Draco began to stutter but Ginny touched his lips with her finger.  
  
"No, no, baby. You need to rest. You come with me and Alexis and we'll make you feel all better, okay?" Ginny's tone was like that of a mother speaking to her baby. Alexis shook her head, sticking her bottom lip out. Ginny stepped in Lucius' stomach as she walked Draco back to the castle. As they were walking away, Alexis spit in Lucius' eye.  
  
"Drink this." Ginny said, handing Draco some hot, green tea.  
  
"How did you beat my dad up?" Draco asked in bewilderment.  
  
"I kicked." Ginny said plainly as she covered his shoulders with a blanket and began to give him a back massage. Alexis took his empty mug and left the two in her and Ginny's room, alone.  
  
"Mmmm." Draco sighed as relaxed his tensed muscles.  
  
"Take off your shirt so I can do this properly." Ginny smiled as Draco removed his shirt and revealed his tight six pack and buff arms. She smoothed some warm water on his back as he lay on her bed face down. She began to move her hands down to his shoulder blades and up between them. She pressed down his spine and pushed away to the sides of his body. She then ran her fingers through his hair and lightly made circular movements and worked her way down his neck. She then caressed his arm muscles and back. The lights were off and the fire was blazing as Ginny and Draco cuddled at the edge of her bed on the floor. Ginny sat in-between his legs and his bare chest supported her. His arms draped over hers and his hands held her smooth hands.  
  
"So when do you take off your shirt?" Draco asked mockingly.  
  
"I'll still be wearing a bikini top." Ginny smiled.  
  
"Better than, wait, it won't be better than nothing. Oh well." He smiled down at her and she smiled back. As he bent his head down, she closed her eyes and soon they were joined in a passionate kiss. 


	13. Seamus is a target and the return of Sir...

Ginny walked down the steep staircase to the Great Hall to find Harry and Ron sitting by themselves at the end of the table. Ron's head was lowered and Harry was leaning back in his chair, periodically glancing at Alexis sitting with some Ravenclaws. Ginny could here Ron mumble about Ginny's past behavior.  
  
"I can't believe she would do something like that."  
  
"Alexis is so beautiful." Was the only response Harry gave Ron.  
  
Ginny walked over to where her friend was sitting and took a seat next to her.  
  
"Boy hunting, are we?" Ginny asked as she leaned against the table and placed her elbows on the edge of the tabletop.  
  
"Just having fun, Gins. Just having fun." Alexis said as she smiled at a crowd of Hufflepuffs and began her 'rolling finger' trick.  
  
"You're going to get in trouble for that some day." Ginny sighed as she cocked her eyebrows.  
  
"How?" Alexis asked indignantly.  
  
"Because one day you're going to attract someone who's taken." Ginny said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Like you did with Draco?" Alexis smiled at her friend's grin.  
  
"In his case, it doesn't count. Pansy is a public service." Ginny scowled as Pansy walked in followed by her inner posse.  
  
"Public isn't broad enough." Alexis muttered as Pansy approached them.  
  
"Well, girls. How are we doing today?" Pansy asked in an annoying tone. She flipped her hair back and smiled revealing her nasty yellow teeth.  
  
"My dear," Ginny began. "In a while we'll need sunglasses to stare at those disgustingly yellow chompers you got there."  
  
As Pansy ran off Alexis yelled after her, "1-800-99-Jenny!"  
  
"Either that or Slim Fast." Valerie said as she joined her laughing friends. "So, what are you guys doing today?" She asked as she crossed her legs and leaned her elbow on top the table.  
  
"I'll pretend you didn't just call us the lower half of the human race and assume you meant painting the wall for the dance?" Alexis said as she filed her nails with the nail file she conjured up and stared at them as she withdrew her hand.  
  
"Something like that." Valerie sighed as she nudged her sister in the ribs playfully.  
  
"Can I invite Draco?" Ginny asked.  
  
"As long as I can invite Seamus." Alexis smirked at her scowling little sister.  
  
"Gins," Valerie began.  
  
"Val?"  
  
"I think I shall join you today in your quest for a painted wall." Valerie smiled at Alexis and walked off to where Seamus was sitting.  
  
"She's going to get you someday, Lexi." Ginny smirked.  
  
"Only in so many years, Gins." Alexis replied. "Only in so many years."  
  
   
  
Ginny climbed down the ladder and examined her work. She had finished her part of the sky and forest top and was working on hills, brush, and a moon. She scratched her head pulled her auburn locks out of her ponytail. As she removed her gloves, a light flashed before her and an owl flew up and dropped a letter in her lap. She looked at it curiously and noticed that no one else had realized an owl had flown in.  
  
She opened the envelope and found a letter reading,  
  
Ginny, I'm so sorry I haven't been in touch with you lately. I really tried, but I was detained and all with the matters of family business. I heard about Malfoy and I'm sorry about your mum. I hope all else is well and I wanted to tell you that I will be arriving to seek out your company in private. Don't tell anyone else about this, I want my arrival to be a secret. Meet me outside the Leaky Cauldron the day after tomorrow at eight p.m. I promise I'll be there no later than eight-o-five.  
  
Stay well, Sirius*~*  
  
Ginny gasped at the letter and hid it in her overall's pocket. She looked around and ran to her room to make sure she could handle her excitement. Sirius had always been a close friend to her, although everyone thought he was a better friend with Harry. It proved to be false when in her fourth year; he found her crying outside and befriended her while in his Animagi. She could remember him stalking up to her and changing into his regular form. His voice was gentle and calm and he was friendly and kind. After that he had always kept in touch, and soon he became her Hogwarts father. He never really came to visit Harry much, only Ginny.  
  
"I wonder what I'll do." She whispered.  
  
   
  
The next day went by in a flash and so did the following morning and afternoon. Soon it was time for Ginny to go and meet Sirius and find out why he had contacted her after so long. She filed out of the Astronomy class crowd and made her way to the dormitory. She threw her stuff on her bed and found her black leather jacket sitting in the back of her closet on a hanger.  
  
"Poor neglected little thing needs to go for a ride." Ginny remembered when she had accepted that ride from a Ravenclaw on his motorcycle; it had made Ron really angry to the point where it looked like he might have had an internal hemorrhage.  
  
She threw on her leather jacket and slipped on some combat boot sand tucked them under the cuffs of her jeans. She then closed up the jacket over her short sleeved white shirt and decided to borrow a helping hand, or broom.  
  
"Draco!" Ginny yelled as she knocked on the Common Room entrance. "Draco it's me, Ginny! Open up! I need your help!"  
  
"Hello there, precious." He smiled as he opened the door.  
  
"Can you give me a ride to the Three Broomsticks?" She asked as she put her hands on her hips and cocked her head a little.  
  
"Why? You don't work on Thursdays." Draco looked confused at the request.  
  
"Please?" Ginny asked, as her eyes got wider.  
  
"Alright, alright. Hold your broomsticks; let me go get one of mine." He smiled as she raised one of her eyebrows in annoyance.  
  
"Ready?" He asked as he walked out with his Firebolt.  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be." Ginny smiled as they both walked outside. "And I just hop on like this," Ginny said as she mounted the broom behind Draco.  
  
"And you have to hold on real tight." Draco smiled as she hugged him and held on to his chest. As they took flight an excited feeling soared throughout Ginny's body. The night sky was clear and dark as the small white stars glowed in happiness against the veil of black. It id not take them long to touch down in front of the Three Broomsticks.  
  
"Are you going to need a ride back?" Draco asked as Ginny jumped off the levitating broom.  
  
"Probably not." Ginny smiled as Draco took off with a wave. She turned around and made her way from the Three Broomsticks (she chose that place so Draco wouldn't get suspicious) to the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
As she stood outside, a gust of wind blew by and blew her hair in her face. As she turned trying to push it behind her ears, she saw a black figure against the fence of the alleyway. It began to walk towards her and once it was in the light, Ginny was staring into the face of Sirius Black.  
  
"Hey, Ginny." He smiled. His eyes were as gentle as they had always been; only more tired looking.  
  
"Hi, Sirius." She said. She smiled as they hugged and began to walk the streets of Hogsmeade.  
  
"So what have you been doing, my social butterfly?" Sirius asked as a group of kids ran by them in the opposite direction, screaming something about a new brand of brooms. (Interesting conversation, huh?)  
  
"Oh, nothing really." Ginny replied.  
  
"Oh, Ginny, don't exaggerate like that." Sirius drawled sarcastically as he wrapped his arm around her neck.  
  
"Well, what did you expect me to say?" Ginny asked with a smile.  
  
"Well," Then he changed his tone to a very feminine one. "Let me see, um, I started dating Draco Malfoy," (Let's be glad he's imitating Ginny.) "Ooo, and I got into detention, I scared everyone with my rambunctious behavior and I painted the wall for the ball." He ended with his hand slightly bent in the air as if he were (a richer and prettier) Pansy Parkinson.  
  
"If you knew all that why'd you ask me?" Ginny asked as she nudged him in the ribs and smiled at him as he smiled back.  
  
"To make sure I didn't miss anything too important." Sirius replied as turned up the collar of his coat. "You sure your not cold?" He added as he rubbed his arms.  
  
"Positive, I didn't keep this jacket for nothing." Ginny responded as she patted the jacket as if to tell it 'nice job'.  
  
"What about for kicks?" Sirius smiled as she raised her shoulders in consideration.  
  
"Maybe. What about memories? Or even to scare everyone again." Ginny smiled as Sirius made a fake serious face. (Hey look! I made a corny joke!)  
  
"Have you ever met my friend Alexis?" Ginny asked as she looked up at his figure.  
  
"No, I've heard of her though." Sirius looked down at Ginny.  
  
"She's kind of like you. Imperfect life. Her mom's dead. And her dad, well, her dad isn't the best." Ginny sighed as they took a seat on a bench outside of a sweets shop. 


	14. Dancing can be a fighting thing

"So, your friend Astella, she likes Ron, eh?" Sirius asked as he sipped some tea from a decorated cup.  
  
"She's practically in love with him." Ginny laughed as she sipped some butterbeer.  
  
"In love? Well, well, well. Sounds a whole lot like you and Draco." Sirius teased as Ginny nudged him playfully in the ribs.  
  
"Yeah, me and Draco are doing real good. But, hell, Ron and Harry are giving me all kinds of lectures and does and don'ts and just a truck load of crap that I don't want to hear." Ginny sighed as she put her cup back down on the table.  
  
"That can happen. But, Ginny, Ron lives in a place where he's the only male sibling left now that Fred and George are off making a living and living by themselves. And, Harry, well, I can't give you an excuse for Harry." Sirius set his eyes on a light post across the street. "Well, I guess I'd better be getting you back home." He added as a waitress handed him the check.  
  
"I'll pay my bit." Ginny said as she took out her purse.  
  
"Oh, no. I'll do it." Sirius insisted as he left a few Knuts and he and Ginny made their way to the secret entrance (or exit depending on how you look at it) into (or out of) Hogwarts.  
  
"Thanks for coming to see me." Ginny smiled as the opening appeared and she stepped in.  
  
"I'll write." Ginny heard Sirius say as she disappeared into the darkness.  
  
   
  
Soon Ginny awoke to the sun shining onto her bed and into her eyes. As her 'hazel beauties', as Draco called them, opened, she smiled and stretched out. She stood up and woke Alexis up. Alexis snorted as Ginny held her nose shut (the only way to awake Alexis).  
  
"Good morning, Gins." Alexis said sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.  
  
"Morning, Lexi." Ginny replied as she began brushing her teeth.  
  
"We going anywhere today?" Alexis asked as she started going through her closet. She pulled out a purple halter-top and a denim skirt. "What do you want to wear?"  
  
"One, we're going to go to that new club in Hogsmeade and two, get me out anything dramatic." Ginny yelled back.  
  
"Okay!" Alexis smiled. She put her first outfit back and picked out two more she deemed worthy for the occasion.  
  
"What do you want to do first? Go down and eat breakfast, or go out and eat breakfast?" Ginny asked as she jumped into the seat next to Alexis in the common Room.  
  
"Go down and eat breakfast. If we went out it would be on me." Alexis said with a smile. "What do you think Astella is going to do about that prat of a brother of yours?"  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
   
  
"Ginny! Ginny, wait up!" Astella yelled down the corridor.  
  
"What is it Astella?" Ginny asked surprised.  
  
"What am I going to do about Ron?"  
  
"Lord only knows."  
  
"Please?"  
  
"I don't know, cook?"  
  
"Come on, Gins."  
  
"Come on, what? The old saying applies more to Ron than anyone else, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."  
  
"How can I seduce your brother?"  
  
"Eww! I didn't need to hear that! I haven't had my coffee yet!"  
  
"Ginny!"  
  
"Astella, no! I am not going to help you out with this one right now. Later, maybe, but probably not."  
  
"But, Gins.." Astella complained.  
  
"Listen, you deserve better than that prat of a brother of mine." Ginny said as she put her hand on Astella's shoulder.  
  
"But I want to be his." Astella whined.  
  
"Not today. And besides, Alexis knows more about seducing my brothers than I ever will, thank God. However, why it may be relieving that I don't know how to seduce my brothers, Alexis could actually become a problem.." Ginny was ranting, and she narrowly missed the light bulb lighting up above Astella.  
  
   
  
Alexis and Ginny walked around the club and settled at a table near the back wall where no one was.  
  
"This is so much fun." Alexis smiled clapping her hands happily. The club was filled with people and there were lights flashing on and off and music playing loudly. Crowds of friends gathered around inside of the middle and began to 'groove to the music'.  
  
"I'm so glad you're enjoying it." Ginny said, rather sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, Gins, aren't you having fun?" Alexis grinned as she pulled Ginny out onto the dance floor. They began to dance and then soon they had the attention of every guy in the club. Ginny's flashy auburn hair and Alexis' moves drew every male within a three-mile radius. "See, Gins, fun!"  
  
"Oh yeah, Lexi, real fun." Ginny smiled back at her grinning friend as girls fumbled to retrieve their straying guys.  
  
"Hello, girls." Came a rather familiar voice from behind Ginny.  
  
Dean and Seamus were with the rest of the Quidditch team, standing behind them all with their tongue's hanging out. (Except for Ron and Seamus of course)  
  
"Why, hello fellows." Alexis said as she cocked her eyebrow and put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Look, Lexi, gentlemen with their tongues hanging out. How rude!" Ginny smiled as the rest recovered their senses.  
  
"Gins, I think they liked watching us dance to the music."  
  
"Seamus is taken and Ron's my brother.." Ginny began.  
  
"And Harry's an asshole." Alexis finished.  
  
"I'll take Dean!" Ginny yelled as she grabbed Dean and began to dance with him while Alexis grabbed another boy and soon everyone was laughing and dancing. Harry and Ron stayed in the corners scowling all the while.  
  
"Why can't she be mine?" Harry whined.  
  
"Why can't she be more innocent?" Ron complained.  
  
"What about Draco?" Alexis asked as she and Ginny caught up with each other.  
  
"It's just dancing! Besides, Dean knows me, we're like brother and sister." Ginny smiled as she and Dean began a bad impression of the tango.  
  
"Oh yeah?" Alexis saw this as a challenge so she and Seamus did an even worse impression of the tango and soon they were all laughing again.  
  
"So, girls, where do you want to go next?" One of the players asked.  
  
Ginny and Alexis exchanged looks. "Having fun, guys." Alexis said as she waved them good-bye. "Gotta go." She smiled as she and Ginny made their way back top their table.  
  
"Lexi!" Ginny yelled over the loud music. "That was so much fun!"  
  
"That's what I'm here for!" Alexis replied as they ordered some butterbeer.  
  
"So what do you want to so next?" Ginny asked once the crowd toned down a bit.  
  
"Go to sleep! I'm tired." Alexis yawned as Ginny looked at her watch.  
  
"Good grief! It's already two thirty!" she screamed with a smile.  
  
"Good for us!" Alexis cheered as they paid the tip and made their way to Hogwarts.  
  
   
  
The next morning Ginny and Alexis woke up to screaming and yelling from the Common Room.  
  
"How come you nasty little cheat?" came Valerie's voice angrily. Her voice was hoarse as if she had been crying.  
  
"It was just a dance!" That was Seamus. Ginny and Alexis exchanged looks.  
  
"Just a dance? JUST a DANCE?!"  
  
"Please baby, I.."  
  
"Don't give me any of that baby crap you pig!"  
  
"But I love you!"  
  
"You'd love a meat grinder if it would screw you!"  
  
"Val!"  
  
"Leave me alone, you man whore!"  
  
"But she's like a sister to me!"  
  
"And she's my sister!"  
  
A door slammed and Valerie appeared in the room. "You slut." She hissed as she eyed Alexis. "How could you!?" Her eyes were tearing up.  
  
"How could I what?" Alexis' voice was mild and calm.  
  
"When he got here last night, all he could talk about was how great you looked when you danced." Then Valerie peered over at Ginny. "And you too, Ginny!" She glared back at Alexis. "I am ashamed of you two." She walked out and slammed the door shut.  
  
"Alexis, we have a problem." Ginny turned to her friend, but Alexis was on the brink of tears. "Lexi?"  
  
Alexis swallowed thickly and ran out. Ginny stomped her foot.  
  
"Damn." 


	15. Stealing, walking boots, and Tristen, th...

Ginny came out of the dressing room wearing a black, strapless gown that hugged her body and sparkled. She wore black stilettos and had on black gloves that had designs running down the middle of the top and stopped at her wrists. As she twirled around, her dress shimmered and her hair swept her back gently. As she applied the final touch, diamond earrings that hung down and a single diamond necklace that had a gold chain, which Draco had given her for the dance. "How do I look?" She asked Alexis who sat a few feet away.  
  
"Great. Let me put mine on." Alexis smiled as she grabbed a pale blue dress and rushed to the changing room, however Ginny saw a little trickle of pain her eyes. But when Ginny tried to make sure, it was gone so she laughed a little to cover it up and sat where Alexis had just been. A few minutes later Alexis walked out in a short dress with blue stilettos and a handbag. Her straps sparkled as if they were made of diamonds, knowing Alexis they probably were, and she wore an amethyst necklace and earrings.  
  
"And how do I look?" Alexis grinned as Ginny smiled back.  
  
"So, are we all set?" Ginny asked as she began digging through her purse.  
  
"Oh, dear, no, no, no. We'll charge this to Harry's card, he's got enough money anyway." Alexis said as she pulled out a few galleons.  
  
"Alexis! You didn't!"  
  
"I had to."  
  
"But it's not yours."  
  
"My your observant."  
  
"Alexis,"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Alexis, how did you get that?"  
  
"Dug through his pants."  
  
"Was he conscious?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Alexis!"  
  
"Okay, just this once."  
  
"ALEXIS,"  
  
"Ginny, we have to do this sooner or later and later I might just be so angry I'll kill him." Alexis finished as she handed over three galleons. "It's his fault for having his pants laying out with all his money in it anyways. And he could always get more."  
  
"Oh, well. We were here to buy dresses and that's just what we'll do." Ginny said as she sighed,  
  
"These boots were made for walking, and that's just what they'll do. And one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you!" Alexis sang as she carried the bags full of gowns and jewelry out with the help of Ginny.  
  
"Well, I guess we could buy some boots." Ginny smiled as Alexis brought out four more galleons.  
  
"Why don't we just buy a store?" Alexis laughed.  
  
"Because you want Harry to feel the pain instead of die, don't you?"  
  
"Clever little girl, are we?"  
  
"Yes, please!"  
  
"We are so dangerous."  
  
"It's no wonder why every guy would die for us."  
  
"One will if he doesn't ask me out soon."  
  
"I think we have a problem." Ginny was looking straight ahead at a group of boys surrounded by a group of girls, one of whom was Pansy Parkinson.  
  
"Uh-oh, bitch attack."  
  
"And lookey here," Ginny motioned to who Pansy was 'seducing' this time. "Harry Potter."  
  
"Speak of the devil." Alexis and Ginny made their way over to the crowd and decided to make a visit with the unsuspecting galleonaire and bitch- aholic.  
  
"Pansy! I knew it was you from your rear." Alexis smiled as Pansy turned around with a scowl on her face. "Failing again are we?" She added as she put her arms around Harry's neck and went in for a passionate and everlasting kiss.  
  
"Hey! I was working on that!" Pansy retorted.  
  
"Shove it flower head." Ginny pushed Pansy back and dragged her brother out of the group. "You're not even a Quidditch player, why are you here?"  
  
"Hey, you liked Draco, I hang with Harry. It's as simple as that." Ron replied as he crossed his arms.  
  
"No, it's not. Quidditch players are egotistical, if not seeing someone fantastic, or wimpy and stupid. It only took you a while to find out about Draco and you're not that wimpy." Ginny explained.  
  
"Come on, Gins, I was having a good time." Ron countered.  
  
"With Parkinson? She should have a sign on her butt reading, 'wide load'."  
  
"With a little beep beep sound." Alexis added.  
  
"Come on, Ginny." Ron held out his hand. "I'll take you back to Hogwarts if you need a ride."  
  
"No, I'll hitch one with a player." Ginny said waving to Dean.  
  
"It's one thing to be seeing Draco, Ginny," Ron yelled after her as she hopped on Dean's broom. "It's another to be cheating on him."  
  
"I'm not cheating! I am just getting a ride."  
  
At that, Ginny and dean flew off followed by Alexis and some other guy. (Whom I didn't bother to create a name for.)  
  
The next day Ginny and Alexis woke up bright and early for classes and ate their breakfast quickly. Alexis and Valerie still weren't speaking and Seamus was still walking around the school, following Valerie, saying 'I love you, I really do!' Ginny and Alexis had to sprint down to the astronomy tower in order to be on time and Alexis was in a bad mood because Ginny's last detention was that day and Alexis had to spend another four days alone with Harry in a room.  
  
"Ginny, do you think you could get in trouble again?" Alexis asked as she and Ginny made their way down to the tower in a hurry.  
  
"What for?" Ginny replied.  
  
"So I could have a sanctuary in detention."  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Ginny, please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Gins!"  
  
"No, Lexi. You're are going to have to deal with him on your own this time, okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Good. Listen, teacher said we have to sit apart today, remember?"  
  
"No, not okay!"  
  
"Alexis, grow up!" And with that Ginny stalked off and Alexis was in a flurry of anger and disappointment. The rest of the day was spent making sure that Alexis didn't have to encounter Harry more than twice a day, once at breakfast and once at dinner. Lunch was when Ginny and Alexis went outside and had a picnic.  
  
"Ron, what does Harry think of Alexis?" Ginny asked as she walked down the aisles of the library, her brother at her side as a watchdog.  
  
"He thinks about nothing besides her."  
  
"That tells me nothing."  
  
"He thinks she's a dish, a babe, the cream of the crap."  
  
"Crop."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Cream of the crop, not crap."  
  
"What ever."  
  
"She can't be the cream of the crap, that's an insult."  
  
"So?"  
  
"You want to insult Alexis?"  
  
"I wouldn't mind."  
  
"Don't be an asshole."  
  
"Why not?" Oh, great. Now her brother was trying to be funny.  
  
"Because it's not very appealing."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So what?"  
  
"So what?  
  
"Stop copying me."  
  
"I'm not, I do this all the time."  
  
"So what is it, matter of habit?"  
  
"I suppose so."  
  
"Maybe its genetics. I think Fred and George had it too."  
  
"What about Percy?"  
  
"Percy had as stick up his ass, that's what Percy had."  
  
"No argument here."  
  
"Ooo!"  
  
"What? What?"  
  
"I found it!"  
  
"Found what? How to break my eardrums? By the way, you succeeded!"  
  
"I'm so glad."  
  
"Well, ooo what?"  
  
"Heh?"  
  
"Why'd you say ooo?"  
  
"Because I found my book!"  
  
"And?"  
  
"It's my book, dumbass."  
  
"Excuse you!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Don't ask."  
  
"Ron!"  
  
"What?"  
  
Alexis walked up to Ginny, joining her for dinner. "Classes were unusually nice without you, no offense, but, you know, you know that annoying Ravenclaw kid? The foreign one? The one we said that if he wasn't so annoying, you know?"  
  
"You mean, Tristen?"  
  
"Uh-huh, that's the one." Alexis smiled. "He walked me to all my classes, he's positively," Alexis sighed. "He is sweet. Very, sweet. I enjoyed him very much."  
  
"Don't you mean his presence?"  
  
"No. I enjoyed him. He didn't kiss me. I mean, he didn't make me feel like I was second best. And that was just… nice." She giggled softly. "He didn't make me feel like a public service."  
  
Ginny gulped sickly, she knew who Alexis was talking about. 


	16. Questions, answers and Alexis' true man

Alexis and Ginny wanted an off day so bad; they almost couldn't wait for the end of Friday. As they walked down the streets of Hogsmeade, Ginny decided to bring up the matter of why Alexis was crying the day that Valerie had gotten mad at her. But Ginny wasn't sure how to approach it. She didn't want to make Alexis feel like she had to talk about it, she didn't have to. And Ginny certainly didn't want to run  
  
Alexis off, so it was something to think about all day.  
  
"Alexis," Ginny began.  
  
"Mhmm?" Alexis looked up from her line of gaze.  
  
"Why were you, I mean," Ginny just couldn't get the words out. She felt uneasy about what could happen and she didn't wan to t be in fight with both sisters.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Why were you, you know, crying that day that Valerie yelled at us?" There was a bit of silence before Alexis smiled and waved Ginny over to a bench.  
  
"Me and Valerie are our own best friends. We trust each other with things that no one else knows, like you, Gins. There are some things I don't even tell you. And Valerie is the only one I can talk about them with. And when she's mad at me, or I'm mad at her, we don't have anyone to talk to about those little secrets." Alexis sighed as if contemplating a better sentence to use. "When she gets mad at me, it's more than just because I danced with her guy. Something is really bothering her and I don't what it is. And that bugs me. It really does. Gins, no one has a perfect life. No one. And I think that Valerie and I got stuck with the scrapings of the bottom of the barrel." She sighed again. "Your mom's sick, Harry is an only child without parents, me and Val have a sucky life. If you get my point say so, because this is getting harder to explain by the minute." Ginny laughed at Alexis' smile. " And if Valerie really does think that I was trying to steal Seamus, than she must have forgotten something we agreed on a long time ago. Boys always come after best friends."  
  
"I get it." Ginny crossed her arms. "I get it real good. And I'm sorry that you can't tell me these things. I try to be there. I really try to understand. But, I know that sometimes you have to be there to completely understand, or else you're only getting half the story."  
  
"Yeah, it's something like that." Alexis and Ginny got up and made their way back to Hogwarts. Today was going to be a quiet day.  
  
"Hey, Ginny, can I talk to you?" Valerie poked her head in through the door. Alexis had gone out and wouldn't be back before dinner and it was only noon. And  
  
Ginny didn't have anything to do, so she nodded and put away the book she was reading and followed Valerie to the Quidditch field.  
  
"What is it, Val?" They hadn't said anything and Ginny felt like breaking the silence.  
  
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about the other day." Ginny nodded and was about to blurt out a readied apology, but there turned out to be no reason for it. "Ginny, I want to apologize for blowing up in your face. I didn't mean to. And I didn't mean to get that mad at Alexis either. It's just," Valerie sighed. "It's just that Alexis has always been the one to get the guy, every single time. And I'm tired of being the odd girl out. I want my special guy! And when I heard what Seamus was saying, not only about Alexis, but about you too, it made me angry. It made me absolutely furious. And I am truly sorry if I offended you or made you feel like I wasn't your friend anymore, because I am, I really am."  
  
"Oh, Val!" Ginny smiled. "Don't be stupid, I know we'll always be friends. And besides, I would get steamed if I heard Draco talk about you." Ginny breathed in the crisp air. "I just wish you and Lexi would, you know, mend."  
  
"Me and Alexis are too tough to let a little fight get to us, but I must admit that you'd love to hate her."  
  
"I know. But sometimes you just can't."  
  
"That's why she's still my sister."  
  
"Val, if you need me, I'll be here."  
  
"I know, Gins, I know."  
  
Alexis walked up and down the rows of joke props and trick props, and plain old fake props (of course she was in the three W's). Once she turned the corner of exploding jellybeans, she saw a tall, dusty blonde with a tight black tee shirt and jeans with his thumbs hooked on his pockets.  
  
"Tristen Murray." Alexis whispered as she felt her cheeks grow hot and her hands break into a cold sweat. "What's wrong with me? Alexis! Snap out of it." She whispered to herself angrily. She began taking small, slow steps towards the counter and leaned over, revealing her tanned legs from beneath her short, denim skirt.  
  
"Hey, there, you." He said with short breaths in-between each word.  
  
"My, I've never heard that one before."  
  
"I hope not."  
  
"Why are you hoping not?'  
  
"Look, I'm not used to anything besides books. Books are good, but you, you are great. You're really great."  
  
"Thanks, but.."  
  
"No, no, no. You don't get it. If there was a book on how to get Alexis Jenkins, I would own every copy so that no one else would know how exactly to captivate you, to grab your attention."  
  
"You're doing a pretty good job at it." Alexis looked down and then up again. "Tristen, just ask me out, alright?" His deep blue eyes seemed to free her in her every movement. Her heart wouldn't slow down. It was weird, there was only one time she had felt this way, and she had gotten hurt. This guy wasn't Harry; he wasn't going to hurt her.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I'm pretty sure if you ask now, I'll say yes." He grinned at this and somehow Alexis felt motivated to kiss him. Slowly she inched towards him, raising her arms to circle his neck. Softly, she settled into his body. She felt his strong arms encircle her waist and his hands hug her sides. As their lips softly pressed together, she seemed to be touched by heaven as they linked in a tender, soft, sweet kiss. The loud bang that usually came with the three W's door opening didn't faze the couple at all, the moment was too perfect.  
  
In walked Ron, Ginny, Astella, and Harry. Ginny had planned on waking the others so they could have a day away from Hogwarts in the local joke shop. Harry had volunteered to go in first because no one really cared whether or not he got punched by a joke exploding from the door that Fred and George would most likely find hilarious. Instead, he found Alexis and a mystery man engrossed in a kiss, which hurt him more than any stupid boxer's glove could. Ginny's eyes widened but then she realized who Alexis was 'bonding' with. She smiled and said, "So that's what she meant by good time."  
  
"What?" Harry didn't find this the least bit amusing and raged by staring on at the two until he could regain whatever pride he had left. "Alexis!" She couldn't hear him as he repeated her name over and over again. "Alexis!" She awoke from her personal heaven and pulled away softly, while looking into Tristen's eyes. He smiled with a small, yet heart-arming smile. It was small, but it gave you the feeling that you could never see any one smile like that because it was too precious to waste on more than one person. "Alexis!" Came Harry's voice again as she looked up at his purple face.  
  
"What?"  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"What does it look like?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Why not? YOU don't like me, Ron doesn't like me, no one but Tristen likes me. And don't give me any of that bull about the fact tat he's a Ravenclaw."  
  
"Because you can't!"  
  
"And who gave you the privilege to decide that? I'm serious mister," Alexis was now pointing to Harry with a look of pure hatred blazing in her eyes. "Who do you think you are? What makes you think that you can throw people around like trash and then all of a sudden kick them around for fun?" Alexis saw Ginny. She knew Ginny had been dieing to say something angry to Harry, so Alexis gave her a reason. "You know what I'm talking about, Gins." Ginny looked from one to the other, and then she took a good look at Harry before she nodded.  
  
"I do."  
  
"Ginny! You're taking her side?"  
  
"Harry, get off your high horse, will you?" Ginny raised her voice a bit, but being Ginny, she had to stay sweet somehow.  
  
"Go on, Ginny." Alexis encouraged Ginny's anger.  
  
"You know what, Harry, even though I don't really know you that good, I know that how bad you could hurt someone. You hurt me. And you hurt Alexis. You've hurt Hermione, and I bet you've even hurt Draco before." Harry had a guilty look on his face. "Harry, get over yourself before you decide you deserve a girlfriend." With that, Ginny and Alexis walked off, leaving Tristen to bare Harry's gaze and Ron to deal with Astella's flirting. 


	17. Arguements, reports, and doing things fo...

No one had ever thought that Ginny could have told Harry off like she had, but she did. It scared Harry because no one had ever talked to him like they had, with so much emotion. It was all new to him. As everyone in the library began to clear out, he turned to Tristen with an angry look on his face.  
  
"What were you doing?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Kissing." Tristen replied.  
  
"Obviously!"  
  
"Why's it got your panties in a bind?"  
  
"Because she's my girl!"  
  
"Don't look like it."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"If she was your girl than you wouldn't have to buy a leash for her. If she were your girl, she would feel wanted enough to stay loyal to you and true. If she were your girl I wouldn't be found macking on her!" Ah, the American accent kicks in.  
  
"And how do you suppose I make her my girl?! HUH?"  
  
"I don't, I want her to be mine!"  
  
"What makes you think you deserve her?"  
  
"Same to you!"  
  
"Me? I love her!"  
  
"So do a lot of people! I'm IN love with her." Tristen pointed this out to a confused Harry.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"You love your mom, right?"  
  
"If she were alive, yes."  
  
"Well, you can love Ginny and Alexis at the same time, I'm IN love with Alexis."  
  
"Than so am I."  
  
"Make up your mind, man."  
  
"It is made up!"  
  
"Well?"  
  
"She's mine!" And Harry stalked away.  
  
It had been a long quiet walk for Ginny and Alexis as they rounded every corner with a bit of sadness, but appeared on the other side with pride. Ginny wasn't happy about yelling at Harry, but she knew it have to come sometime. Alexis had a guilty look on her face and Ginny was uncomfortable being around Alexis when she wasn't talking.  
  
"Ginny, I didn't mean to bring you into that argument, that was stupid of me." Alexis and Ginny walked up the stairs.  
  
"No, it was about time I told him off for being himself." Ginny sighed.  
  
" I guess I've been a little selfish lately. I knew he had feelings for me, but I was making out with Tristen. It's just," Alexis paused momentarily. "He makes me feel real, like I'm worth all the trouble. But I didn't want you to get into a fight with `im."  
  
"It had to happen sooner or later, why not sooner?"  
  
"Well, did you see the look on his face?" They began to laugh as they began the climb on the second flight of stairs. To Ginny, the staircase went on forever. Step by step they neared the top.  
  
"Ginny, I am sorry." Alexis hesitated a bit before continuing. "I don't think I like Harry anymore. I like Tristen."  
  
"You don't see me complaining do you?" Ginny hesitated. "Don't you feel bad for making Harry hurt?"  
  
Alexis smiled. "I don't think I've gotten the point across to you. I feel bad for making Harry hurt, but at the same time, I don't regret doing it."  
  
"I think I understand."  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"I don't know." Ginny shifted her weight. "It's like me and Ron. I don't want to get him hurt, but sometimes it's necessary."  
  
"Boys, they just never grow up."  
  
"Isn't that why we still call them boys?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Hey, I'm going to go find Tristen. And if you find us attached at the lips, separate us. I don't want this to be another fling."  
  
"See you."  
  
Alexis found Tristen in the library, reading a book on how to care for a unicorn.  
  
"What are you reading that for?" She asked as she slid in an empty chair next to him.  
  
"Kicks." He replied with a wide smile.  
  
"Kicks?"  
  
"Report."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So," Alexis shifted to her other side and smiled. "What do you want to do on our date tonight?"  
  
"I'm taking you on a date tonight?"  
  
"You are now."  
  
"I see." Tristen replaced the book to its empty slot and walked over to the blushing Alexis. He wrapped his arms around her waist and they began to sway from side to side as if dancing to some invisible music. As he leaned forward, she slowly closed her eyes like those famous women in the movies. He put his hands on her back and their bodies gently touched as they embraced in a light, sentimental, kiss. As they pulled back, Alexis' eyes glowed as Tristen smiled in happiness as he hugged her and they walked down to the Astronomy tower, one leaning on the other.  
  
"Ginny, do you remember what Ron said today in class?" Astella asked, referring to their Potions class, as she walked into the Common Room. Ginny was sitting in one of the red chairs, watching Dean and Seams go at it in a game of chess.  
  
"You mean, 'I always remember when Harry's hair turned purple'?" Ginny smiled as she stood up and followed Astella to her room.  
  
"No, about how he's looking for someone."  
  
"Oh, that."  
  
"Yes, that."  
  
"Well, come Stella, you deserve better than… that."  
  
"Oh, come on, Gins."  
  
"Stella."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You deserve," Ginny paused as she saw the look in her friend's eyes. "Alright."  
  
"Ginny, I love you!" Astella jumped up and hugged Ginny as she ran off in happiness towards the Great Hall.  
  
"Thanks." Ginny said as she stood there.  
  
"Gins!" Came Alexis' voice as she ran into the Common Room wit a grin from cheek to cheek.  
  
"What?" Ginny asked as she looked up at her energetic friend from over her book.  
  
"Reading again? Seriously, Gins, you have to get out more often! WE have to get out more often!"  
  
"What do you have in mind?" Ginny asked with a suspicious look o her face. Obviously Alexis saw the look and smiled.  
  
"Nothing to worry about! It's just a friendly little walk with the guys when we're off work."  
  
"And when do you suppose we do this friendly little walk?"  
  
"Tomorrow preferably, or never."  
  
"Tomorrow? And with the guys." Alexis nodded her head with a pleading smile on her face.  
  
"Please, Gins."  
  
"Fine." As Alexis skipped off, Ginny whispered to herself, "I'm doing a lot of things for people now a days." 


	18. Finding herself

Ginny woke up that day, happy, content, and mysteriously energetic. She followed her gut feeling out the portrait hole and into the Great Hall where gossip about who would be dancing with whom the next night rang through in annoying, familiar, and high voices. Girls of all sorts flocked to groups of guys, hoping they would be asked out to the dance if they hadn't already.  
  
"Gins!" Alexis called from the opposite end. In a flurry of excitement and happiness, Alexis made her way to Ginny. As she passed a group of scattered chairs, she tripped over one of the legs and began to stumble forward towards the floor. As she came a few feet away from falling on her face, she regained her balance and stood there like a deer in headlights. She smiled meekly as she waved the staring audience to their groups. As conversations began again, Alexis walked slowly and cautiously over to the waiting Ginny. "Oops." She said as she arrived.  
  
"Smooth." Ginny smiled as she restrained a flow of laughter, yet failed horribly.  
  
"I never said I was Cinderella." Alexis huffed as they started off towards an empty section at the end of Gryffindors table. (Obviously this is early in the morning or there wouldn't be any empty seats.)  
  
"You never said you were Dumbo either."  
  
"Are you calling me an elephant?"  
  
"Just the clumsy part when Dumbo tripped over his ears."  
  
"How do we know it was a he?"  
  
"How do you know it was a she?"  
  
"Damn you, Gins, you always win."  
  
"So, what do you want, Cinderella?"  
  
"Tristen asked me to the dance."  
  
"Finally."  
  
"We only met two weeks ago."  
  
"Only?"  
  
"Okay, so I was slow with him. He's special, remember?"  
  
"Yeah. Like Draco."  
  
"Yeah, to you."  
  
"To me."  
  
"So, what ARE we going to wear?"  
  
"Clothes, I hope."  
  
"Me too."  
  
Astella stepped out of her room with a sad look on her face. As she opened her bloodshot eyes, she found Ron sitting in the Common Room, alone. He looked up when he heard the door slam shut. Astella blushed the slightest, and she seemed to be unable to control her blinking eyes. She smiled a bit and began to head into her room, until that is, Ron called her over.  
  
"Astella, come sit down." He motioned to a seat across from his. He put down the Quidditch magazine he was reading as she sat down. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing you could help with. It's nothing really. It's just that---" She stammered and than threw her face into her hands in a flourish of tears and sobs.  
  
"Astella? What is it?"  
  
"Oh, Ron, I could never amount to anything! I could never beat my brother at anything! He was always better! Mom and Dad liked him best!" As she hid herself in her robe, Ron covered her hunched shoulders with his, slightly muscular arm.  
  
"What are you talking about? You have a brother?"  
  
"Yeah. He graduated two years ago. He's always been better at everything. And ever since I got to Hogwarts, I've been compared to him constantly and I just got an owl that he was excepted into the N.W.W.A.A.D."  
  
"The what?"  
  
"The National Wizards and Witched Association and Appreciation of Dragons."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"And now I'll never amount to anything with my parents!"  
  
"Astella you will always amount to something!"  
  
"What? In your eyes, what?"  
  
"A great person, a great friend, a great dresser, great…" (Okay, I had to make Ron sweet, I had to!)  
  
"Great? You really think so?" Astella connected with his eyes with hers.  
  
"Really." Ron stared at her for a minute before continuing.  
  
"Ron, I-" Ron held up his hand. As he brought it down they began to lean into each other, closing their eyes. As they neared each other's lips, Harry walked in followed by Hermione and Valerie.  
  
"Holy.."  
  
"Oh, my god!"  
  
"Ron!"  
  
The two were snapped awake. As Ron looked over to Astella, trying to get her to stay, she stood up and ran away in embarrassed.  
  
"Guys!" Ron yelled as he ran after her.  
  
Valerie said, "Uh, does anyone know what just happened here?"  
  
"Nuh-uh." Hermione and Harry chorused.  
  
"Okay, I got my dress, do you have yours?" Alexis asked as Astella, Ginny, Valerie, and Alexis looked out of their changing rooms at 'Ches Paris Fleur Clothing', the new clothes store.  
  
"I got mine!" Ginny smiled as she ducked back through the curtain.  
  
"Mine too!" Astella added, a little more cheered up than she used to be.  
  
"Me too!" Valerie smiled mischeviously.  
  
"Boys, here we come!" Alexis smiled.  
  
The next day went smoother than anyone had thought it would. It was the morning before the party and thanks to Ginny, Hermione, and Valerie; Astella was in a better mood than she had been the other day about herself. The four had decided to go shopping, but Hermione had retrieved her dress earlier and was 'boosting her ego' in front of the mirror in the girls bathroom.  
  
"Shall we?" Alexis added. The group looped their arms as the joyfully walked down the streets of Hogsmeade, laughing, talking, and having fun.  
  
"I'm having the best time of my life." Astella smiled as she laughed at a joke Alexis was telling.  
  
"No, you're having one of them." Ginny smiled  
  
"I am?"  
  
"Yeah, wait till you go to the dance in your new dress. Now THAT'S going to be the favorite part of your life!" Alexis commented.  
  
"I hope so!" Astella smiled back at the group.  
  
"Me too!" Valerie put in.  
  
The tension in the school rose as the students began to show happiness at the upcoming dance. Everyone everywhere was ecstatic. People were screaming for joy and girls were prepping themselves as the guys bragged about how many dances they would get in. There was a constant uproar; however, about a mystery man who would arrive with the love of his life to claim. And only one person in the whole school knew who that mystery man was, himself.  
  
"Ginny!" Alexis called from their room. Ginny looked up from her chair in the Common Room.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Come here!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I need your help!"  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Come here, already!"  
  
"Fine!" Ginny got up from her seat. She walked in and found Alexis running around the room, groaning in frustration. "What, are you doing?" Ginny asked with a pause in between the 'what' and 'are'.  
  
"Looking." Alexis ran to the other side of the room and opened the top drawer to their dresser.  
  
"Looking for what?"  
  
"Me."  
  
"Alexis,"  
  
"What?" She looked up from her search.  
  
"Hold your hand out in front of your face." Ginny commanded. Alexis did as she was told with a sigh.  
  
"And?"  
  
"There, you've found yourself. Lets go!"  
  
"I meant," Alexis' hand dropped to her side. "Me." She continued looking through her things.  
  
"So it's really, who, your looking for."  
  
"Yeah. You understand."  
  
"Alexis, what haven't you found?"  
  
"My ring."  
  
"It's in the bathroom."  
  
"You know where it is?" Alexis ran to the bathroom and screamed with happiness as she jumped up and down with joy. "Thank you, Ginny! I love you!" Alexis hugged her friend and then turned to the mirror. All of a sudden she stopped and turned to Ginny. "As a sister."  
  
"I know." Ginny smiled as they walked down the steps to the Common Room. 


	19. The proposal

Ginny walked down the hallway as she and Alexis joined the rest in the Common room.  
  
"Wow." Astella, Valerie, Seamus, Ron, everyone was there in their amazing outfits.  
  
"Uh-huh." Alexis agreed as she and Ginny approached Valerie and Seamus, who, finally made up. "So, is the happy couple happy again?" She added.  
  
"Mmmm.." Valerie encircled her arms around Seamus' neck and they smiled at each other as their noses touched. "I surely think so."  
  
"I surely hope so." Seamus smiled mischeviously as they kissed and hugged.  
  
"I wish I had one." Alexis said as they all began their walk down to the Great Hall.  
  
"One what?" Astella asked Alexis as Ron ran up with an, amazingly, beautiful corsage. "Oh, Ron! It's beautiful!" Astella happily accepted it and pinned it on the strap of her blue dress.  
  
"One of what Val has. A good guy, a hero, a hunk.."  
  
"An Adonis." Ginny ended. Alexis sighed as Jason approached in the hallway.  
  
"Hey, gorgeous." He smirked as Alexis blushed. "Miss Jenkins, you look like a princess."  
  
"I hope not." Alexis' smile faded. She turned and walked back to the end of the hall and sat down on the end of a statue.  
  
"Did I say something wrong?" Jason looked over at Ginny who shrugged in response. She sighed and motioned for the others to stay there while she talked to Alexis. Her heels clanked and echoed down the long corridor as she approached the, obviously, slightly depressed Alexis.  
  
"What's wrong now?" Ginny asked as she sat down next to Alexis.  
  
"What's wrong now? What's wrong now?!" Alexis looked up with a hurt look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Ginny," she stood up with her fists clenched. "Do I annoy you with all my petty problems that you're forced to listen to? Am I just another bother in your bloody life?"  
  
"Alexis! How dare you accuse me of such a thing! If I didn't want to hear all the negative crap you've been dishing out I would have moved to a different room by now! And if you actually looked at yourself by now, you are perfectly fine and I'm tired of hearing you bitch about Harry Potter and every other male in history who hasn't fallen head over heels for you! You play boys as if they aren't human beings and it's making me sick! The moment one falls for you there like heaven and once one dumps you they're the worst things on the planet! Get over yourself Alexis Jenkins, before you decide you deserve friends or a boyfriend!" Ginny stomped off looking for Draco and Alexis stood there, her jaw gracing the floor.  
  
Alexis yelled after Ginny, "You take that back Ginny Weasley!"  
  
Ginny turned on her heel. "No, get.. over.. yourself."  
  
That night wasn't very pleasant at the beginning, but it got better as it progressed. Ginny's dress startled everybody. And sadly to say, Alexis was left behind by the others due to the fact that she through one of her million dollar temper tantrums.  
  
Ginny walked down the steps, as Draco waited at the bottom, talking to a few of his friends. Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere to be seen, and Draco was being on his best behavior. Ginny descended from one step to another. Gold shimmered off of every inch of her body as her red hair curled up on top of her head in a glossy bun. As she walked down to the last step, Draco held out his arm and escorted her to the dance floor where he embraced her happily.  
  
"Ginny, are you okay?" He asked as he twirled her and pulled her in close.  
  
"No!" Ginny stifled a cry. "I just got into a fight with Alexis." Draco pulled her in front of him where she was looking into his deep, yet, soothing grayish-blue eyes.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I told her I was tired of hearing her complain about Harry and everybody, but Harry, she's so sensitive, what if I hurt her too bad?" A tear trickled down her cheek.  
  
"Ginny, if you did, you didn't mean to. And I doubt you did. You could never hurt someone that bad. I know that. Ginny, sometimes you have to hurt people to wake them up and tell them what's going on." Draco's eyes made her heart lighter as she let a small smile, but still a smile out. "Do you want to go talk to her?"  
  
Ginny shook her head, and Draco led her out of the Great Hall and left her to her business.  
  
Ginny found Alexis sitting out in the Quidditch field stands with her blue shawl draped around her arms. Her glittery blue dress was pulled off of the seats and the trail was sitting in her lap.  
  
"Oh, Alexis," Ginny said as she walked up. "I didn't mean it! None of it! I'm sorry."  
  
"No," Alexis stood up and held up her hand. "You were right, Ginny, I'm the one who should be sorry."  
  
Ginny smiled at her friend. "Alexis, Harry isn't the only guy in the world."  
  
"I know, but he was the one that I wanted."  
  
"Wanted?"  
  
"Until Jason came along."  
  
"Jason, eh?"  
  
"Jason, yes, Jason."  
  
"Good." Ginny smiled wider. "I'm glad."  
  
"Me too." Alexis and Ginny hugged and agreed that neither would mention a thing about anything having to do with Harry Potter.  
  
"So do you have a hero now?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I do."  
  
"Finally, the dance I've been waiting for." Astella smiled as Ron walked up behind her with two drinks.  
  
"Milady," He handed her one and smiled as Astella blushed.  
  
"My god, my brother's actually sweet!" Ginny exclaimed with a smile on her face as she and Alexis entered just in time to see the act.  
  
"Oh, shush, Gins." Ron's smile disappeared but a blush ran across his face.  
  
"Awwwww, he blushes!" Alexis teased as she walked up with a now present Jason. His arm was draped around her neck as she clung to his hand.  
  
"Well, shouldn't we start dancing?" Draco smiled as he wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist.  
  
"Yes, and let's do it well this year!" Ginny smiled as she and Alexis remembered the last year when they danced horribly.  
  
"Ah, the ugly memories." Astella and Ron moved out to the dance floor and began to dance to the music of 'Blue Moon'.  
  
"Come my lovely." Jason said as he spun Alexis around and pulled her in close to him. His arm went around her back and Alexis felt a sense of security rise within her. As she rested her head on his shoulder he whispered in her ear, "I've never met such a lovely girl before."  
  
"You're just saying that to get laid." Alexis mumbled as she felt as if she was being swept into a dreamland.  
  
"Never." His voice was soft and gentle as his breath tickled Alexis' ear. "I could never lie to you. And that's what makes you special."  
  
"Is that the only thing?" Alexis asked as a smile grew across her face.  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"What else than?"  
  
"Your eyes, your smile, your hair, your attitude, your wonderful, wonderful butt,"  
  
"Why thank you, I've only heard that one four thousand times." Alexis replied as Jason looked at her with a soft smile. His dimples made Alexis smile wider.  
  
"I hope not, I try to be original." Jason smiled as Alexis hugged him close to her.  
  
"Don't leave me."  
  
"I could never." Jason repeated as he pulled her in close and they hugged.  
  
"Shall we?" Draco held out his hand to Ginny. Ginny removed her shawl and walked over to him. He caressed her bare shoulder as he moved his hand to her back and spun her into a dip. Ginny's glossy lips glistened in the somewhat dim light of the candles that levitated in the room. He pulled her up to him and Ginny closed her eyes as they moved to the rhythm of the music.  
  
"Mmmm, Draco, how could like someone like me?"  
  
"Like?"  
  
"Well, don't you like me?"  
  
"No." Draco smiled at her.  
  
"Why?" Ginny was a taken aback.  
  
"Because I love you, Ginny." He looked at her longingly. "I don't just love you, I'm in love with you. You drive me wild. I have waited for as long as I can remember to see if you feel the same way. Ginny, every night I thought about you, I swear I could have said your name a million times." By the look in his eyes, Ginny knew he wasn't lying. "Ginny, after this year, I was tempted to ask you to marry me. But now I feel like I can't keep it in any more. It's driving me nuts. I swear I'd rather be castrated than not tell you this." Ginny's mouth was open and her eyes were smiling on him. She smiled. "Ginny, I would do anything for you. If you don't want to be a Malfoy, you can keep your name, I'll change mine, whatever! Ginny, you make my heart race. You make me feel like no one has ever made me feel. I can't stand the moments I'm without you." There was a moment's silence before he finished. "If you don't want to get married now, we can wait, I can wait. I can wait forever."  
  
"Are you.." Ginny trailed off before she could finish. Draco got down upon his right knee and brought out a small white case with a silver chain wrapped around it. "Ginny," Ginny held back her tears of joy. Would she say yes? He opened the case revealing a golden ring with pearls around the band a solitary diamond resting on the top. The ring she had always said she wanted. "Will you marry me?" 


	20. Durmstrang here we come

"Draco...I," Ginny stuttered. "I'm flattered!"  
  
"Flattered." Draco's eyes lowered.  
  
"Draco, what's wrong?"  
  
"Is flattered all?"  
  
"Well, Draco, I'm not..."  
  
"You don't love me."  
  
"No, no, that's not it!" Ginny smiled, trying to get him to look at her. "I'm just not ready to get married yet."  
  
"How come?" Draco asked as he rose form his bended knee. "How come? Is it me?"  
  
"Draco, I love you,"  
  
"It is me isn't it?"  
  
"Draco! Don't make a scene." Ginny said trying to make sure it wasn't catching anyone's attention.  
  
"A scene? You don't want me to make a scene?" Draco looked hurt. Ginny saw it in his eyes and a feeling of guilt came over her. "Ginny," Draco whispered. "I love you crazy. I drive myself crazy trying to keep my mind on school."  
  
"You don't have to worry about school, you're already passing."  
  
"That doesn't mean anything! What good will it do if I don't learn?"  
  
"I have sacrificed..." He looked down.  
  
"Sacrificed? Sacrificed!" Ginny became angered. She pulled him out of the ballroom so she could scream at him. "You haven't sacrificed anything for this relationship!" She hissed.  
  
"Really!" Draco was taken aback. "And you would know this. You would know this since you spend every waking hour with me. You would know this because you know my father hates you and kicked me out of his house because I bought this ring!" At that Ginny's mouth opened and as she tried to let in her words, Draco continued. "You would know this because you asked why it was that I show up to school sad, and I never spend time with you anymore because I have to work my way through life with this job I have as a farm worker on a Muggle farm! I can't sleep in the dorm anymore because of my father's connections! He hates me because of my undying love for you! I sleep in a barn for you! For our love! And you say that I haven't made a sacrifice! I have made more than one sacrifice for you! And you would know this."  
  
"Draco! I hate you." Ginny muttered. She was now crying. "I.. I.. Hate you!" She cried as she ran off to her room.  
  
Standing a few feet away, Draco stopped walking and looked up at the stars. "Beautiful, absolutely beautiful." He sighed and walked down to the lake. As he trudged through the thick wet grass he felt a solitary tear trickle down his cheek. He sat down near the bank and covered his face in his hands. He laid back and stared into the infinity of the glowing lights in the sky. "Stars.."  
  
   
  
"Ginny Weasley!" Alexis yelled into their room in the dorm.  
  
"What?" Ginny asked miserably as she looked up from her pillow in which she had buried her face.  
  
"What did you do to that poor boy?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"We found him next to the lake bitching about how you stepped on his little heart."  
  
"Why aren't you at the dance?" Ginny asked as she turned over, Alexis was still in full costume.  
  
"I was just coming up here to tell you that he's dropped out, Ginny." Ginny started awake. "He said that you don't listen. That you always walk away before someone's done talking. He's gone Ginny. He won't come back."  
  
"Yes he will." Ginny's head was spinning in horror as she realized that all Draco had told Alexis was true. "I hope."  
  
"Yes, well your hoping isn't going to stop the train he's leaving on tomorrow to go back to his father's now is it. He's going Durmstrang."  
  
Ginny gasped, and the normally quite understanding Alexis glared. "You have ruined it, you know? People look up to you two as the couple who, despite the family and house rivalries, could work it out. And I was one of them."  
  
Ginny didn't look her in the eye.  
  
"When you decide to come to your senses, tell me, alright?" Alexis left worriedly, and a paper slipped from Alexis's bed as she swept past it. Ginny went over to pick it up.  
  
As her eyes skimmed the page, she realized Alexis had been talking about it at breakfast just last week.   
  
~*~FLASHBACK~*~   
  
"So, anyways, as I was saying.."  
  
Draco looks really good in blue. He should wear it more often.  
  
"Durmstrang.."  
  
He seems to think green is his color.. It's not.  
  
"Transfer…"  
  
He'd even look good in red. Red's a good color for anybody. Well, anybody but me..  
  
"Still get Hogwarts credit.."  
  
Green would be a good color for me, not Draco..  
  
"Hot Bulgarian boys.."  
  
I wonder when Alexis will stop babbling about boys. I've barely caught a word she's said, but I know it's about BOYS.  
  
"So, what do you think, Gins?"  
  
Oh, shit. "I think it's a great idea, Lexi." Whatever it is, the relationship will be over in two months. "But think about Tristen." Always throw that in. "Do what you think is right."  
  
He looks really, really good in blue.   
  
~*~END FLASHBACK~*~   
  
Ginny's eyes widened. "Of course!"  
  
Despite her rather mussed appearance, she threw open the door and ran down the stairs. "ALEXIS JENKINS, YOU BETTER SIGN ME UP, TOO!"   
  
"Ginny, are you sure you want to do this?" Ron asked worriedly as Ginny Summoned her trunk. "I mean, what did Mum and Dad say?"  
  
"They said that because the transfer was cost-free and I'd still be getting Hogwarts credit, that they could care less. As long as I had a friend going." Ginny answered, tying the knot of her bandana underneath her pair of stick braids. "And since Alexis is going, I can go, too."  
  
"But why, Gin? Why?" Ron asked, chasing after her.  
  
"Just because, Ron. I need cultural enlightenment, I need a break from Hogwarts, most specifically from you, and I need.." Ginny kissed her brother lightly on the cheek. "I need him back."  
  
"So it is about him, then." Ron whispered softly.  
  
"Partly. But I do need to get away from here." Ginny hugged him, slinging a strap of the backpack Vivian had gotten her over her shoulder. "I love you."   
  
"Lex!" Harry shouted, and she turned around, fumbling with the straps of her new backpack.  
  
She smiled at him, in spite of their history. "Hi."  
  
Harry didn't hesitate a bit. He hugged her with a full force that caught her by surprise. He stepped back, holding her by her shoulders.  
  
"I'll miss you." He said after staring at her for a moment.  
  
"I'll miss you, too, Harry." Alexis whispered. "I wanted to say goodbye to you this morning, but you were gone."  
  
He nodded. "I wanted to get you this."  
  
Harry stepped back to reveal a caged owl, one that was a shimmering midnight black. "I knew you didn't have one, so.."  
  
Alexis's eyes were brimming with tears of happiness. "Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry."  
  
His sheepish grin was a bit sad. "It's not all your fault, I mean, I was a bit of a prat myself, and I really didn't think about how you felt and.."  
  
Alexis stepped forward and kissed him softly on the lips. She bent over to get her owl. "Thanks, Harry."  
  
She began walking away, and Harry touched his lips gently. "You're welcome."  
  
She turned around. "Oh, I just simply forgot about him.. Harry, tell Jason I said goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye."  
  
"Alexis, wait up!" Came a voice behind her. There standing in his outfit was Tristen. 


	21. Reaquanting with old friends

"Wow," Ginny looked around at the giant castle that lay ahead. Large and gray, it stood out against the green country behind it. Hills rolled out like waves in a sea as both Ginny and Alexis' eyes grew wide with envy. "Us, the winning Quidditch team and they don't even give us the best castle."  
  
"Yeah, totally unfair." Alexis murmured as she glanced over at the lake behind it. "Ooo, chances for skinny dipping are in order."  
  
"Do I disagree?" Ginny questioned with a sweet smile.  
  
"Better not." Alexis replied.  
  
"What, and miss the chance of being a naughty girl?" Ginny's eyes turned an innocent shimmer.  
  
"I taught you well." Alexis giggled  
  
"Ooo, boys!" Ginny said quickly as she pointed out her window. Alexis leaned over Ginny and smiled mischeviously.  
  
"Fresh meat." Alexis rubbed her hands together.  
  
"Harry!" Harry was walking to his potions class as he heard the voice of Jason.  
  
"Oh, hey." Harry's smile disappeared.  
  
"Where's Alexis?" Jason asked as he raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Alexis?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah, tall, brunette, legs for days," Jason explained but was interrupted.  
  
"Oh! She's at Durmstrang with Ginny." Harry replied shortly.  
  
"No!" Jason yelled.  
  
Harry was surprised at the outburst and wanted an explanation for it. "What's wrong?"  
  
Ginny and Alexis stepped out of the carriage and onto the rocky path to the front entrance of Durmstrang. Ginny, wearing a black short skirt and white sleeveless top with black sandals, looked stunning with her luscious curls down. And Alexis was her outgoing self with a red spaghetti strap top that read 'I don't BITE' on the front and under it in smaller letters, 'Unless you want me to' with a similar yet leather black skirt and black stilettos with diamonds on the straps.  
  
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Ginny looked over at Alexis.  
  
Alexis looked back and smiled. "Screw Kansas, I'm home."  
  
"Well?" Harry asked as he tried to keep up with Jason who was walking in a quick pace down the hall.  
  
"Let's just say it won't be a pleasant stay for either of them." Jason replied as he quickened his pace to a slight jog.  
  
"Jason," Harry began but Jason turned around sharply and stopped.  
  
"Let's just say she'll meet more of my friends than she was supposed to." Jason sighed. "And someone she has already, but I don't want her to." He added. Then he turned yet again and wasn't stopped this time.  
  
"Welcome to Durmstrang ladies." A young man said as he greeted them at the door. He had dark brown hair to the tips of his ears that was messily topped on his head. He had dark brown eyes and a fair complexion. He was tall and muscular, but not muscular to where he was a recognized body builder. His voice was deep and gentle with a little touch of mischief. He had an English accent due to the fact that he could speak both Bulgarian and English. And as they found out later so did his friend.  
  
"Thank you" Alexis grinned. He held out his arm to her as she took it, another boy stepped up and escorted Ginny to her room. He had light brown hair, almost blonde, blue eyes, and was shorter than the other but taller than Ginny. His hair reached down to the top of his neck and his style, too, was messy.  
  
"So," He smiled as he held out his hand for Ginny as they began to walk up a flight of stairs. "How long are you planning on staying?"  
  
"The rest of my life if you keep treating me like the princess I'm not." Ginny blushed as he begged to differ.  
  
"I think not. Any lady of such beauty as yours deserves to be a princess at the very least." He smiled as he used his wand to direct her trunk behind them.  
  
"You have a very good grasp of your magical powers, what year are you?" Ginny asked as she complimented him and flirted to her subtle extent.  
  
He smiled, "I'm seventh." He replied. His dimples didn't do wrong to his physical features.  
  
"What's your name?" Ginny asked as she tried to etch away at the surface. From his black slacks and white blouse that wasn't tucked in, Ginny could tell he was of some importance, yet had a wild streak.  
  
"Cody, Cody McBarker." He paused before he said his last name.  
  
"As in, THE McBarker's? As in the world's longest line of famous ancient magic scholars?" Ginny questioned stunned. This guy had a fortune up to her ears if it was thin and really small.  
  
"I'm afraid so." He replied. He looked back up, his blue eyes making Ginny blush. "And what's your name?" They had arrived at her room and she couldn't even remember how she had gotten there. "I always like to know a beautiful woman's name."  
  
"Well, I'm Ginny, Ginny Weasley. I'm afraid that my family has no fortune or famous long line of historical people of whom we all try to pass off as our own ancestors." Ginny replied bluntly.  
  
"Not everyone wants to do that." Cody suggested.  
  
"Not everyone has to." Ginny finished. "So, I can't remember how I got here." Ginny added.  
  
"Well, I'll wake you up at seven tomorrow and show you around again." Cody smiled as Ginny nodded.  
  
"I'd like that." Ginny smiled as she waved him goodbye. She sighed as she got in and looked around in amazement. The room was huge. It had a large window reaching from floor to ceiling to the left side of the room and on the far left wall were bookshelves half filled with the required books of a student and a door leading to the bathroom. On the far right wall, was the bed. Grand and filled with magic goose feathers that supported yet comforted you along with seven pillows filled with the same thing, wrapped in golden silk pillowcases. The sheets were gold silk and the comforter was deep red cotton imported from the fields in the secret forests of Pantaloon Bay. Above the bed was a painting of a unicorn with fire blazing from its eyes and a white fire from it's tail and mane. It was running through a wood near a lake and its reflection in the lake shimmered.  
  
The first item Alexis proudly whipped out was a fancy silver photo frame that she set on her nightstand.  
  
A blond girl, Cody's sister, Amanda, giggled. "Is that your brother?"  
  
Ginny snorted. "Only if incest is legal."  
  
Tracy translated because of the language barrier. The other members of Amanda's dorm giggled. One, like Amanda, spoke both English and Bulgarian, began speaking to Amanda rapidly in Bulgarian. The other two nodded and giggled.  
  
"We're roommates, so we share everything. And I mean EVERYTHING." The girl, by the name of Tracy, explained. "And we share him."  
  
Ginny's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? Do you know this boy?"  
  
Amanda translated also after the rest of the girls smiled and spoke rapidly with excited pauses in between. "Jason Murray?" Amanda giggled. "Every girl has had him!" She shouted with a laugh.  
  
Alexis stood motionless in the room as the rest of the girls reminisced on how Jason was 'not a roll of quarters'. "You mean you've seen, ALL of him?"  
  
"Let's just say," Tracy began. "That he's like a very wide pencil, that… Well that hasn't been sharpened yet."  
  
"Unless you REALLY want to sharpen it, then you don't take off your clothes." Amanda translated and they all giggled. Alexis shut her mouth and stomped out of the room with an angry look on her face.  
  
"Uh-oh." Ginny whispered as she chased after her enraged friend. "Alexis! Lexi! Alexis Jenkins!"  
  
"What?" Alexis replied with an angry yell.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked as she rushed up to her friend.  
  
"I don't know," Alexis began. "Act like my boyfriend and sleep with the first person I see next that is male." She added. (Now for the coincidence!)  
  
~Earlier That Day~  
  
"Now, Jason, I may not like you, but Alexis doesn't deserve that heartbreak. Come on." Harry led him out of the castle and into Hogsmeade. "Two express tickets to Durmstrang, please."  
  
The young man, probably two years out of Hogwarts, shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, sir. Unless you have permission from your guardians.."  
  
"Charge it to Harry Potter's account." Jason added snappily.  
  
The young man's eyes widened and he instantly gave them two tickets.  
  
As Alexis rounded a corner she entered a large library and sitting at a table engrossed in a large book was none other than the boy that had escorted Alexis earlier, Jacob Mariano.  
  
Alexis swaggered over, leaning on the table by her elbow and flipping a bit of her hair over her shoulder. "Hi, Jacob."  
  
Jacob looked up and smiled, raising an eyebrow at the same time. He had no idea what was coming next, the unfortunate little soul. "Hi, Lexi."  
  
Alexis settled herself into a chair next to him. "What're you reading?"  
  
Jacob grinned. "You wouldn't be able to read it, it's all in Bulgarian."  
  
Alexis giggled. I wasn't wondering what language it's in, my precious victim, I was just wondering what book I'm going to have to replace after throwing it to the side before I tear your clothes off.  
  
"I can translate your homework for you, if you want. I'll also help you write your homework in Bulgarian. Will you be staying for the rest of your education?" He asked innocently, and Alexis scooted closer.  
  
"Depends." She chirped.  
  
"On what?" Jacob asked, putting down his book at last and grinning at her.  
  
Alexis lightly put her hand on his thigh and moved it northwards. "On who tries to get me to stay.."  
  
Jacob's eyes widened and after a certain squeeze, he nearly jumped out of his chair. "Are all you transfer students this friendly?"  
  
Alexis got out of her chair in a flash and was suddenly straddling Jacob's lap. "Oh, come on, Jake.. Do you really think good old Harry Potter just wants a good lay?"  
  
Jacob shook his head and Alexis dipped her head, pressing her lips forcefully on his and rotating her hips slowly.  
  
"Oh, God." Jacob murmured as they briefly parted.  
  
"Correction, goddess." She retorted and decided that her breathing break was long enough.  
  
"Ginny!" Harry called down the vast halls of Durmstrang. Everything here was.. Colder.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes.  
  
"What, you don't talk to old friends anymore?" Harry asked with a grin as he caught up with her. She turned to him icily.  
  
"No, I don't talk to heroes in denial and randy bastards who have had their way with almost every member of my dormitory." Ginny snapped as she clutched her books tighter to her chest and started out on a run. "LAST TIME I CHECKED, GENTLEMEN, STALKING WAS ILLEGAL!"  
  
"Let me guess." Jason muttered. "Their dormitory is the one with pictures of unicorns over their beds."  
  
"HELP US FIND ALEXIS, GINNY!" Harry shouted after her.  
  
Ginny's eyes lit up with an idea and she whirled around, a mischievous smirk tugging at her lips. "Check the library."  
  
Harry looked puzzled. "Alexis doesn't go to the library unless.."  
  
He exchanged a look with Jason.  
  
"Aw, shit." They chorused and they ran, Jason leading the way.  
  
As their kissing grew more intense, Jacob softly began pushing Alexis' robes off of her shoulders. She pulled back and grinned at him, tugging at the hem of his own and yanking them off.  
  
"You learn a thing or two when the entire population of Hogwarts thinks you're a slut." She explained as she began kissing him again. He pulled away only long enough to lock the doors with his wand. She giggled. "A great kisser AND smart."  
  
She frantically started unbuttoning his shirt, and he did the same for her. She ripped off about five buttons of his blue shirt, and her three top buttons were undone in seconds.  
  
Harry and Jason pounded on the doors of the library.  
  
"Locked. Now you KNOW what they're doing." Harry said dismally, stopping long enough to pull away in frustration.  
  
"I'm dead." Jason murmured.  
  
Harry turned to him, his eyes full of hatred. "You're worrying about yourself?"  
  
Jason snorted. "What, you aren't here for a good lay?"  
  
Harry spat at him. "Alexis is a virgin, you ass."  
  
Jason smirked. "So you love her, eh?"  
  
Harry nodded glumly.  
  
"You need not look like loving Alexis Jenkins is killing you." He murmured as he led Harry around a corner.  
  
"It nearly has."  
  
"Did you hear something?" Jacob asked, and Alexis grabbed his face impatiently.  
  
"All I hear is the lust that is pounding through my.."  
  
All of a sudden, Alexis found herself tossed over someone's shoulder, her feet beating against his waist and her head hitting his.. Ass?  
  
"Come on, Lexi, we're going home."  
  
She recognized that voice.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"But you said he wasn't into getting a good lay!" Jacob protested, sitting there with his shirt half-unbuttoned. "Oh, hey, Jason. Didn't know you were back."  
  
"Jason!" Alexis yelled and kicked Harry repeatedly until she landed a hit in his groin. "That ass!"  
  
"Lexi," Jason whined as he came in and tried to get her out of Harry's arms. As this was going on Jacob repaired his shirt and fixed his hair. He picked up his book and in a quick motion, rendered Harry unconscious temporarily and was helping Alexis regain her balance.  
  
"Jacob, I thought I told you not to mess with my girl!" Jason yelled as he grabbed Alexis' arm and led her away from the taken aback Jacob.  
  
"Which one?" Jacob asked as he caught up with them.  
  
"Jacob!" Jason yelled. "Lay off! Alexis is mine!"  
  
"Why don't we let her decide?" Jacob suggested as he crossed his arms. Jason released Alexis and she straightened out her shirt, walked over to Jason, slapped him across the cheek and walked over to Jacob. "I'm sorry." She said. She left the two standing and walked over to Harry. "Are you okay?" she asked as she helped him up.  
  
"Fine, thanks, the things guys go through for you." He smiled shortly as he rubbed the back of his head where he had been hit.  
  
"Hey," Jacob walked over to her. "What about me?" He asked as he looked at her sadly.  
  
"Jacob, you were a fill-in. A substitute to make me feel better." She explained.  
  
"Is that all? There was nothing in between us?" Jacob asked as he lowered his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jacob, but.." Alexis was interrupted.  
  
"No apologies okay?" Jacob asked as he grabbed his book and looked down at her once more before he left adding, "Next time, don't jump on someone like a whore!" He trudged out of the room leaving Alexis wide eyed and mouth open.  
  
"Lexi, don't listen to him." Harry rubbed the side of her arms as she closed her mouth and sighed.  
  
"No," She retorted. "He's right." She stared off. "I was acting like a whore. I can't believe it, I was acting like a slut, a whore, worse!" She buried her hands in her face. "Forgive me."  
  
His eyes widened and he slightly smirked. "Is that a request or a command?"  
  
She smirked back. "You won't think I'm a whore if I do this, will you?"  
  
"Do wha.." Alexis giggled, snaking her arms around Harry's neck and pulling him closer, softly kissing him.  
  
Ginny walked in and found the two bound at the lips and relishing every minute. She sighed and left them to their forgiving and kissing and whatever it was Alexis wanted him to do that he would. She slowly turned a corner and walked down a long corridor until she reached a walkway from one side of the building, over the courtyard, and to the other. On the other side she saw two towers, one she knew was for potions and the other for astronomy. As she crossed this link, she was unaware of her audience.  
  
From the boy's dorm room, Cody looked out his window and found the beautiful Ginny Weasley walking across the pathway and thought that this would be the best time to ask her if she wanted to go get a cup of butterbeer sometime. He left his work on his bed and walked out in a white dress shirt that had the first two buttons unbuttoned and black slacks.  
  
Ginny walked up a flight of stairs and stared out into the night sky as she sat down in one of the desks in the astronomy tower. As she closed her eyes, a gust of wind came through and blew her hair away from her face.  
  
"Hello gorgeous." Cody whispered behind her.  
  
"Hey." Ginny returned as she faced him. Her bright green eyes illuminated her somehow.  
  
"What're you doing? Star-gazing?" He smiled as he sat down beside her. The wind blew his shirt aside revealing his muscular torso.  
  
"Are you making fun of me?" Ginny teased as she noticed what his shirt hid and blushed slightly.  
  
"Not really, but, yeah." Cody smiled as he wrapped his arms around his knees. "Are you?"  
  
"Yes." Ginny looked back out the window and smiled again. "It reminds me of home because whenever I was bored, or really just wanted to, I would look out the window and stare at the stars and I would be happy again."  
  
"That's really nice." Cody said as he looked over at Ginny. Her vibrant and brilliant red curls swayed in the wind and shimmered in the moon's light. "You must've had a nice childhood." Cody gazed out the window like Ginny was and smiled.  
  
"Depend's on how you look at it." Ginny explained. " I grew up, somewhat, around seven children and a father that wasn't there unless it was breakfast or dinner. My brother's, my older one's, they weren't really around with me much because they were already in Hogwarts. And Percy, Fred, George, and Ron, were the only family I saw and that was enough. Especially since Fred and George were twins." She finished.  
  
"Sounds like you were like the Brady Bunch." Cody laughed a little.  
  
"The who?" Ginny looked at him confused slightly.  
  
"I used to live with my Aunt Georgetta until I was accepted here and she would watch that show ALL the time."  
  
"So it's an American show?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Yes." Cody explained the whole thing and once he finished he began recollecting on some of the old episodes. That night they stayed up and talked about their families and many of their memories. Some they would like to forget, and other's they couldn't ever forget.  
  
"So you had a crush on Harry Potter?" Cody smiled as they leaned leisurely aginst the tall pillars. "THE Harry Potter?"  
  
"Stop teasing!" Ginny giggled as she shoved him playfully. He laughed back and sighed happily.  
  
"You know, I haven't talked so much in a long time." Cody whispered as the wind blew his hair into his face and the same to Ginny's.  
  
"Really? How come?" Ginny questioned as she leadned forward.  
  
"Well, my father left my mother when I was just a baby, and my mother died when I was two so I moved in with my aunt. I don't know why she left the magic world but she said that there just wasn't much safety anymore. I mean, with all the Voldemort stuff going around then I'm sure half of the magical community moved out too." Cody explained. "I never really got to know my father and I sort of built up a hate for him. Then I had to talk to Albus Dumbledore and he helped me get rid of all the hate and anger by, well, it's a little embarrassing."  
  
"Well, you can tell me." Ginny offered.  
  
"Well, I kind of meditated and painted. I became really good at it." Cody smiled back at her.  
  
"An artist, well, I knew you had talent." Ginny laughed some and then looked down at her watch and out the window. "Oh, my god! We satyed out here all night! I've got to get to sleep! Or, to class, or,"  
  
"Ginny," Cody interrupted. "It's Saturday."  
  
"Oh." Ginny muttered quickly. "Oops."  
  
"Don't worry it get's complicated keeping up with the days sometimes." Cody added.  
  
"How did you get to speak English?" Ginny asked as she cocked her head and looked at him with a lot of comfort in her eyes. As he explained about how his aunt was English, she thought that this guy would be the best older brother she could ever have.  
  
"So, I came here, met Jacob and Tristen," Cody said but Ginny was brought out of her dream land.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Jacob and Tristen?"  
  
"Tristen? As in Tristen and Jason, Tristen?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Tristen used to go to Hogwarts!"  
  
"Yeah, he said that his brother, that jackass, stole his girl so he came back here all heartbroken." Cody explained.  
  
"I've got to tell Alexis!" Ginny exclaimed as she rose.  
  
"I think I should go with you, I can pick up Tristen on the way if you want." Cody offered.  
  
"No, I think we should 'alert her to his presence' first."  
  
(AN:Hello everyone! I am the author of Glimpse Beyond the Stereotypes and I would like to explain a few things. For the past couple of weeks I have been in somewhat of a rut and had the slightest bit of writer's block. Also, I would like to apologize for any tyepo's I have made but the writing tools I am using right now does not come equipt with spell check, so again, I apologize. Thank you and enjoy the story. ) 


	22. The plan

(AN: Hello all my readers! I must thank you for actually reading this far into my story and I must tell you that I have enjoyed writing this fic and feeding your minds with my imagination. I hope you have fun reading on. And now, I have gone twenty one chapters without mentioning, 'He Who Must Not Be Named'. Well, this short chapter is dedicated entirely to him. I'm sorry for the shortness, but I hope you enjoy it!)  
  
In a dark building far into the depths of England, stood an aging man and in front of him, Voldemort. His scheming days, were not up. and he was planning something deadly, and extremely evil.  
  
"Lucious!" His voice rang throughout a tall tower and a dark room.  
  
"Yes, my lord?" Lucious whimpered.  
  
"Where is your son?"  
  
"We have a problem, my lord."  
  
"What is this problem you speak of?"  
  
"It is my son, my lord." Lucious whispered.  
  
"Well?" The voice boomed. "What is it, speak up!"  
  
"He has fallen in love. My lord, he has fallen in love with a Weasley." Lucious explained.  
  
"A Weasley?"  
  
"A Weasley, sir. He has fallen in love with a Weasley."  
  
"Well, why isn't he here then?"  
  
"I told him not to, well, court her. That I would disown him, but he loves her."  
  
"Well, let them fall in love, knowing that Weasley, she would follow him to his death." The voice slithered through every nook and cranny in the room. "She might be a healthy, strong, and rather, coaxing partner. If we can get her for a ransome even, then we might be able to draw him in."  
  
"Yes, my lord." Lucious bowed and than raised an eyebrow. "About, well,"  
  
"Yes, I know who you mean. touch a hair on that head and I'll personally get rid of you." His voice hissed through the corridors.  
  
"Yes my lord. Would you like me to bring him here, to you?"  
  
"Yes, but not now, I think he would do fine where I will put him." The voice finished. 


	23. The return

As Ginny and Cody ran down the halls and rounded the corner, they found the doors to the library open and Jason sitting outside with his face in his hand.  
  
"You dirtbag!" Ginny muttered as they walked past him and found Harry on the floor and Alexis beside him. As Ginny saw that she ran to Harry and Alexis yelling, "Oh, Harry! Are you alright? What happened?"  
  
"He got hit." Alexis sighed as she pulled a wet towel away from his face revealing a balck eye.  
  
"Gees he looks like half a racoon!" Cody exclaimed as he saw it. "Here, I know a spell that will slow the sweeling." Cody crouched down beside him, and Ginny pulled Alexis away.  
  
"Alexis, Tristen's here, at Durmstrang." Ginny whispered and then rushed into a speady rush of words. "Cody told me that he came back here complaining that his brother stole you from him and came back here all heartbroken oh, alexis everything is so complicated and confusing, and I'm getting a migraine, and I miss Draco and,"  
  
"GINNY!" Alexis exclaimed. "Chill girlie!---wait, Tristen's here?"  
  
Just then a lean body walked through the doors and asked, "Someone say my name?" Alexis turned to find Tristen himself standing there looking a little lower than when she remembered, but in shape still the same. "Hello, Lexi. How've you been all these, weeks."  
  
"Tristen!" Alexis yelped as she hid behind Ginny. "He thinks I'm a slut!" She hissed behind Ginny.  
  
"No he doesn't." Ginny hissed back.  
  
"Is she okay?" Tristen raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Or is she just, you know, overly paranoid?"  
  
"She thinks you think she's a slut." Ginny explained plainly.  
  
"That's a prettily covered nutshell, Gins, thanks." Alexis groaned.  
  
"Oh, no problem." Ginny smiled sarcastically.  
  
"I don't think you're a slut, Lexi, I think my brother's an asshole. No suprise, but all the same he's an asshole." Tristen smiled.  
  
"Tell me about it." Harry added as Cody helped him up. "The guy's practically a walking dick."  
  
"And is he shaved his head," Alexis started but, Ginny interrupted.  
  
"That's okay, Lexi, we don't need to hear the rest of that sentence." She smiled as Alexis giggled and then walked over to Harry.  
  
"Are you okay?" She asked.  
  
"Fine, fine thanks." Harry looked at her and smiled a little.  
  
"Alexis," Ginny said. "Group meeting."  
  
"Agreed." Alexis smield as they walked to their common room.  
  
Ginny sat Alexis down and sighed before beginning her suggestion. "I think it would be all for the best if we, re-transfered, ourselves back to Hogwarts." Before Alexis could reply, Ginny continued. "I would find it for the best because all that could really come of this is, well, nothing. We seemed to have caused a lot of trouble."  
  
"I agree." Alexis got in.  
  
"Well, how about we call up Oliver, he's around here right now and he, well, he was a friend to me." Ginny suggested.  
  
"Okay, I'm sure he won't refuse a cute little Weasley." Alexis teased.  
  
"Very funny." Ginny smiled.  
  
The next day was spent contacting Hogwarts and packing.  
  
"Bye, Ginny." Harry said. "I'll catch up with you guys later."  
  
"See ya." Ginny smiled. She walked over to Cody and noticed he had his trunk too. "Where're you going?"  
  
"With you guys, my dad asked for them to transfer me to Hogwarts, it's the best for me." Cody smiled and then drawled in a heavy Bulgariam accent and sarcastically saying in a monotone voice, "As your father, Cody, I command you to go to wherever I say and that's that!" He ended and made Ginny laugh.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll have another friend at Hogwarts. But I must tell you, Alexis and I can be at the least fatal to your health." Ginny smiled.  
  
As she finished an extremely handsome young man pulled up to the open walkway in a van and stepped out.  
  
"Oliver!" ginny exclaimed as she went up to the youth. They embrassed and shook hands.  
  
"You're looking mighty well now a days, Gins. How've you been doing?" He asked in a think Scottish accent.  
  
"Better than when I was in my first or second year. I know my way around now." She smiled.  
  
"And I'm sure you've built up a reputation now haven't you?" Oliver smiled back.  
  
"Just a little one. You're looking good yourself if I might add." Ginny complimented.  
  
"You don't see me complaining about it do you?" Oliver joked. "Oh and Harry," Oliver turned to look at him. "We've got enough room for seven, you can come." Oliver smiled as Harry shook his hand in greeting.  
  
"Thanks." Harry replied.  
  
"Oh, Oliver." Alexis cut in.  
  
"Oh, Lexi, I haven't seen you in a while." Oliver smiled down at her. "What's up?"  
  
"Do you have room for one of Ginny's new friends transfering to Hogwarts?"  
  
"Of course. Anything for my little buddy." Oliver messed up Ginny's hair.  
  
"Come on Oliver, we're not thirteen anymore." Ginny smiled yet drawled sarcastically.  
  
"Thanks." Ginny smiled. Soon they were all piled up and Oliver took them to a secluded area where they could use the floo powder to get there faster.  
  
As they all arrived in Diagon Alley, one after the other, they caught up with old friends they missed and Cody met some new ones.  
  
Ginny and Alexis moved back into their old room and Cody was going to be sorted into his house that night at the 'almost end of the year' feast. The Great Hall was decorated with golden, siliver, and assorted colors of streamers and balls full of beads of all different colors charmed to float above the tables. As Alexis and Ginny walked into the room, a loud applause follwed them to their seats.  
  
"I guess we are famous." Alexis smiled.  
  
"You guys are back!" Astella shouted as she ran to hug her friends.  
  
"Hey you two! Valerie and Hermione came up to them.  
  
"Virginia Cornelia Weasley!" Came Ron's voice behind them. As Ginny turned, ready to give an excuse, he opened his arms and hugged his sister tightly. "Good to see you back, sis." He smiled. Ginny hugged him and they all ate happily as they insisted on Ginny and Alexis telling them all about Durmstrang.  
  
"Anyways," Ginny finished after they had told everyone everything. "That's where we met Cody and Tristen."  
  
"And Jacob." Alexis added.  
  
"Don't remind me." Harry muttered as the rest laughed.  
  
That night they laughed and all was well at Hogwarts. And the next day Alexis and Ginny would begin their Hogwarts education again. 


	24. Alexis, the little Catholic school girl,...

As Ginny woke up the next morning, the sun playing across her face through her bedside window, she blinked a few times to get used to it. Ginny sat up in bed and took her red curls out of the bun she had had them in.  
  
"Morning, Weasley." Alexis chirped as she peaked her head out of the closet. She came out a few minutes later holding a blouse and a black skirt with a blue sweater draped over her arms.  
  
"Alexis? What are doing with that?" Ginny asked as she stood up.  
  
"I think I'm going to become the innocent little Catholic schoolgirl." Alexis replied as she looked down at her outfit and made sure all the buttons were on the blouse and sweater.  
  
"Um," Ginny began. "Nuh-uh. That's not you. It's scary even." She added.  
  
"I know, wonderful isn't it?"  
  
"What are you going to do with that outfit?"  
  
"Oh, you know, make an impression." Alexis smirked.  
  
"Well, go ahead." Ginny raised her shoulders and sighed.  
  
"Gins, you're not going to join me?" Alexis asked as she walked over to the tired Ginny.  
  
"Not this time, Lexi." Ginny replied.  
  
"Oh, come on, Gins, please?" Alexis insisted.  
  
"No!" Ginny smiled. "I've made my impression, now I have to try to focus on school."  
  
"But you're like the smartest kid in the school!" Alexis pleaded. "Please, Gins, please, please, please!"  
  
"That is not true! I am failing potions." Ginny said as she lifted her head up.  
  
Ginny sighed heavily and grabbed some of her clothes. "No." She ended as she went into the bathroom to shower.  
  
"Spoil sport!" Alexis turned her head and stuck out her bottom lip.  
  
"Whatever, Lexi." Ginny said before closing the bathroom door behind her.  
  
Once Ginny was out and they each had their robes on, Alexis concealing her outfit under her robe, they set out to eat some breakfast. Alexis pulled Ginny away before they entered.  
  
"Gins, take a look." Alexis opened her robes revealing her outfit. Her black skirt was pulled down to reveal her belly button and her shirt was tied up in a knot right below her 'womanly powers' and the sweater was tied around her hips.  
  
"Alexis!" Ginny snapped as she pulled the robe tight around Alexis. "What's wrong with you?" She hissed.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's no impression! That's what a stripper would wear!" Ginny pulled Alexis away from the entrance and crows of people. Ginny looked around trying to make sure that no one had seen.  
  
"And it's different from the beginning of the year? I think it's more covered than the other outfits." Alexis smirked.  
  
"Lexi, come on, the year is almost over! Give it a rest!" Before Alexis could reply, footsteps were heard coming from the stairs.  
  
As they looked over, Draco and a few other Slytherins were walking down the steps and talking loudly about an upcoming quidditch game. Ginny sighed and looked in the direction that Alexis was staring off to and found her ex.  
  
"I'll be waiting for you at our table." Alexis muttered before walking into the Great Hall, a trail of wolf calls and whistles following her to her place. Harry had a very surprised look on his face and when she sat down next to him she smiled and whispered, "Harry, pick your chin up off the floor."  
  
Ginny looked down at the floor as Draco neared her, as he stepped off the staircase he finally noticed she was there and stopped walking. She looked up at him coyly and walked over to him. His friends and fellow Slytherins didn't seem to mind him not being there and carried on their conversation.  
  
"Hello Draco." Ginny said, stopping a few feet away from him.  
  
"Ginny," He replied with a sorrowful look on his face.  
  
"Draco, can I talk to you?" She asked as she neared him, her hands extended to touch his.  
  
Draco's eyes lit up as Ginny's hands swept over his and clasped his hand in-between hers. Her hands were warm and gentle and she sadly noted that his was cold and rough.  
  
"Draco," Ginny began, but Draco's free hand went to her lips and touched them softly so that he could intervene.  
  
"Ginny, I wanted to rush things too much, I'm sorry." He looked down at her hands, and caressed them with his. Ginny's eyes closed a tear trickled down her cheek.  
  
Draco was there in less than a second to wipe it away. Embracing her face was his four fingers and his thumb sweeping away the tear, he pulled her into a sweet and tender kiss.  
  
"I do love you, but I'm too irresponsible to be a wife," Ginny smiled when they pulled back.  
  
"I hate that I put you through what I did." Draco apologized, hugging her tightly as if he never wanted to let go. "I hate it."  
  
"So there's that sweet side of you." Ginny giggled and gave him a peck on the cheek. They smiled at each other and held hands as they began walking into the Great Hall.  
  
Obviously word had gotten around that they were a couple, Draco had proposed to Ginny, Ginny and Alexis ran away to Durmstrang, and now they were back together. Because when they stepped into the Great Hall, everyone turned and clapped happily at the two, now a couple again.  
  
Ginny blushed madly and Draco laughed as his Slytherin buddies patted him on the back.  
  
"Would you like to sit at our table?" Ginny looked over at Draco and asked over the loud rumble of the crowd.  
  
"Sure, why not?" Draco yelled back so Ginny could hear him. They walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Ron, Harry, Valerie, Hermione, Alexis, and the whole gang. Draco received many different kinds of looks. Hateful and dirty looks from the Quidditch team and Ron, longing looks from all the girls, and happy looks from the gang excluding Ron and Harry.  
  
Draco smiled happily that day as he and Ginny lay out in the front of Hogwarts on a picnic blanket. The year was almost through and amazingly, an early spring had started. Ginny lay, holding herself up with her elbows and Draco's head rested on her lap comfortably as a few birds flew overhead and the sun tried to peek through the heavy cloud cover. It didn't look as if it was about to rain but there had been many clouds that day and the last.  
  
"I'm so happy." Draco smiled up at Ginny. His eyes were no longer hard and cold to her, they were protective and strong and dependable.  
  
"I'm glad, you need to smile a lot more." Ginny replied as she looked down at him with a grin.  
  
"What? And get all those lines in my face like you?" He smirked as he pinched one of her cheeks.  
  
"Oh! No you didn't!" Ginny yelled and they began to wrestle playfully in the tall grass until Ginny proved to be too weak and gave up as Draco lay on top of her with his arms holding her up. His shirtsleeve had been torn while they were wrestling and revealed a very well toned muscular upper arm.  
  
"Ooo!" Ginny laughed, massaging the muscle. "How manly!"  
  
Draco looked over at his arm and back at Ginny. Ever since she had made the comment about not wearing gel in his hair a while back, he stopped, making him look so much more irresistible. His bangs shadowed his eyes as he leaned in for a kiss. Ginny's arms went up around his neck and their eyes closed as they were swept into their own little euphoria. 


	25. The Overzealous Alexis and The Dancing P...

Ginny sighed as the sun was shining through her bedside window. Finally! Sunday, this was the day she and Draco were supposed to go out and have just a one on one day. (Not one ON one for those of you with minds worse than my own.) She skipped over to her closet and noticed that she really needed to do the wash. As she looked over at Alexis' bed to see if she could help and realized two things. One, Alexis couldn't do laundry even if her life depended on it. And two, Alexis wasn't even there. Ginny shook her head and went for her slippers. At eleven o'clock in the morning, Alexis was not in bed. Something was wrong. Ginny walked out into the common room in her blue pajama pants and black spaghetti strap pajama top with' Kitty' written across the chest area. She walked over to the boys dorm room and knocked hardly on the wooden door. Rustling could be heard from inside the whole dorm as someone walked over to the door. The loud clank of the lock turning was heard, as Dean appeared shirtless. Ever since fourth year for him, someone had said something rude about his weight, he went on a diet and was now in impeccable shape. "Ginny?" He asked sleepily. "Do you know where Alexis is?" "Tried her bed?" "Not there," She paused dramatically and then continued in a lower voice. "Dean, the bed is made." Ginny gave Dean a look of intense worry and Dean was, in that second, wide awake.  
  
Coming along with Dean and Ginny on there hunt for Alexis Jenkins, was Harry, Ron, Astella, Valerie, Seamus, (who voluntarily went with Valerie to search the girls bathroom, the two have not come out yet [not even going there]), Hermione, and the rest of the Quidditch team. "She has to be here somewhere!" Ginny hollered as she trudged up the changing staircase to the Ravenclaws dorm and asked them if they had seen her, they hadn't. "Where is that girl?!?" Harry asked with both worry and anger in his voice. His eyes, still bloodshot from him being woken by a hysterical Ginny, were sad and anxious. "I don't know Harry," Ginny began looking over at him. "If I did, I wouldn't have called out the brigade!" She yelled angrily and went to the Hufflepuffs, though when she got there, she discovered no one from Hufflepuff had even been noticed by Alexis.  
  
"Where? Where? Where?" Harry repeated loudly as he stomped around in the Great Hall. Taking a seat at one of the empty tables, he placed his chin upon his fist and leaned on the table.  
  
"If I know Alexis, which, I do," Valerie began, scratching her head. "She will be where we least expect her." "A nunnery? Honestly, Val, she wouldn't go THAT far!" Ginny protested as she sighed and thought on it for a while. "I meant on school grounds, Gins." Valerie said with a sarcastic look across her face. "Val, check the kitchen!" Ginny said running down the hall, through the classroom corridors, to wherever she was going.  
  
She looked down at the letter in her lap. Her father had sent her a notice of the worst thing to happen to her.  
  
'My darling children, I am so happy to say that Vivian and I have decided to wed this February. Must have the wedding early for I'm happy to report she is pregnant with our next son, Nathan. Hope you are doing well at school, heard about the wardrobe incident, not too happy, Lexi. Valerie, dear, I heard about that Finnigan fellow, hope he's insured. You may each bring as many people as you wish (under one hundred) and I will mail you major wedding details later.  
  
See you soon-dad'  
  
As she wiped a tear away from her face, Alexis recalled on the letter he had sent her the day after she started school this semester:  
  
'Alexis and Valerie, dears, So sorry to have not written in a while since you've been at Aunt Georgette's. It's daddy here, just thought I should let you girls know that I have found someone I enjoy the company of. Her name is Vivian and she has three sons. I have decided to date this woman as you children put it. Thought you should know!  
  
Stay smart darlings-dad'  
  
Devastated about the most likely prostitute her father got pregnant with a son of humans! -Alexis sat out near the forest and decided the better to collect herself so she could comfort Valerie properly. How could her father do this to her? To them? After all, he is supposed to be helpful and loving, but no! Alexis and Valerie Jenkins got stuck with a deadbeat, no good, stupid, two timing, and worthless man of a father. He would be the lowest thing on the planet next to anyone worse. Sad and crestfallen, Alexis had cried the whole morning through outside next to the tree, choosing to tell Valerie first and then Ginny. But her plan had failed when she had walked over to Valerie's bed to find her sleeping so innocently, Alexis could not tell her the bad news. And knowing Valerie, she would have to be the first to know besides Alexis.  
  
Ginny sighed as the group wound up in the entryway to Hogwarts, the school was rid of Alexis Jenkins and no one wanted it that way. Harry slumped against a wall and held his head in his hands. Hermione tapped her fingers against the hard and cold stone wall impatiently and sighed heavily; unhappy they made no progress on the search. Ginny, seeing the troubled Harry, went to comfort him. She sat down next to him and put her arm around his shoulder whispering, "It'll be alright Harry, we'll find her. She didn't just disappear." She smiled meekly as Harry looked up at her. Shocked, Ginny saw that Harry's eyes were now wet with tears and so was his face, he began to shake as he cried silently, Ginny holding him to try and help him stop. "Where can she be?" Harry whispered lightly. Ron took note of this and sat on the other side of him. "Come on o' chap." He said roughly. "It's not like she's with someone else. She's just not where we can find her. Doesn't mean she's gone or nothing." "Anything." Ginny said out of habit. "What?" "You said nothing, it's anything." "Huh?" "You made a grammatical error, I was correcting you." "Why?" "Argh!" Valerie exploded. "Even when my sister is missing, MY SISTER! My darling wonderful sister is missing; you two just can't stop arguing for one minute! Can you two agree on nothing?" Ginny stood and walked over to Valerie and hugged her. "I'm scared we can't find her, too." Valerie couldn't help but let a few tears slip from her brilliant green eyes. Seamus walked over to her and scooped her up off her feet. As he cradled her, Valerie curled up and felt warm against his muscular body. She was safe in there, in her boyfriends' arms, she was safe. "I'm taking her back up." He said, a solemn look on his face. Everyone would have made a joke about them possibly going to make love or full around, but the look Seamus gave them guaranteed he would be there to comfort then. Slowly, he trudged up the stairs, a weeping Valerie in his arms.  
  
Later that day Ginny and Draco walked out to the fountain at school and sat down for a lunch. "I don't know where she is and it's scaring me." Ginny said worriedly as Draco poured them each a drink in finely detailed goblets. "Draco? Where did you get these?" Ginny asked in amazement looking at hers with great surprise. "My father is a rich man, Ginny, too rich for his own good. I thought he needed to clean out his dining room." Draco smiled mischievously as Ginny shot a surprised look at him and her lips curled into an opened mouth smile. "You didn't!" Ginny cried and laughed heartily. Not an ordinary laugh, a head thrown back, mouth wide open, booming voice, laugh. The laugh that was one of the reasons Draco fell in love with her. She's so beautiful. Draco thought. She's so, so, so, beautiful. Vibrant and exuberant. God, I love this woman! Draco looked at her with his gentle and strong blue eyes. Ginny stopped laughing and looked over at him. "What?" she asked with a smile. "Your hair, your eyes, your lips, your every movement. It's like poetry." He said with adoration towards her. His eyes were filling with her light and Ginny could see by the way he looked at her, he wasn't acting with what he said. He did not lie just to get somewhere. He was truly in love with her. And she, him. Ginny leaned over her drink and stopped close to his face. So close that each could feel the other's breath on their lips. Ginny looked deep into his eyes with hers and smiled. She leaned in more and felt Draco's hand support her head. Draco's fingers swept through her amazing ringlets and her soft and silky hair was like music to him. To see the way the sun shined down on it and shimmer off of every strand made him want to shine the sun on her all the time. Their kiss was sweet and tender and Draco's lips caressed hers and their soft touch smoothed over her skin to her neck and he covered her with sweet butterfly kisses. Giggling, Ginny took his hand in hers and noticed how they felt. His hands were soft and warm. She brought one up to her cheek and hugged it in- between both her hands and her face.  
  
(AN: Eager to hear the end? Well than read part two dangit!) 


	26. The Overzealous Alexis and The Dancing P...

Ginny smiled as she and Draco walked hand in hand back up to the castle and as Ginny was about to step up into the outdoor foyer to open the door, Draco rushed up the picnic basket in one hand, and used the other to open the door for her.  
  
Smiling and blushing, Ginny walked through the door knowing someone cared about her enough to open the door for her.  
  
"Why, thank you, dear." She smiled and giggled inside. He opened the door for me! YAAAAAY! She screamed inside over and over.  
  
"My pleasure." He replied. As she stepped inside. Draco pulled her off from her way to the Great Hall and up the stairs, to the Astronomy Tower. Smiling like a fool, Draco put down the picnic basket and got down on one knee in front of Ginny.  
  
"Draco.." Ginny began but his hand interrupted it her. As she looked down at her lips she saw his finger there and a smile crept across his wonderful, beautiful face.  
  
"Ginny," He began pulling out a long box made of a black material. "It would be my hearts desire to see you, wearing this.." He smiled as he lifted the top of the box and watched Ginny's eyes light up.  
  
Inside was a long silver chain with a single diamond hanging from it. And a sterling silver ring with five Rubies. One in the middle and two one each side.  
  
"This ring," He said with a smile, standing up. "Represents all my love and patience for you Ginny Weasley. I will marry you someday, but not until you are ready." He smiled, slipping the ring off the chain and putting it on her left ring finger. "This is the substitute until we are both responsible and old enough to marry. Ginny, I love you. Thinking of you, being with you, seeing you, hearing you," He kissed her shortly on the lips. "Tasting you, it drives me wild. It gives me this feeling inside like I have everything that a man could ever want by just looking into your eyes. You give me the world by loving me or at least liking me the way you do. Ginny, my whole world IS you, and I love you so much that if you ever live a day longer than me I will die inside. Ginny, I could never imagine myself without you. While I was young I tried to because I thought my father was right. He said I couldn't love you. But whenever I tried, I always came to seeing your face, your eyes, your sexy grin."  
  
By now Ginny had cried, she was so happy to hear what he was saying.  
  
My god! She thought. I've got the best.   
  
"Ginny," He continued. She didn't have to hear anymore to know she loved him just as much and maybe more than he loved her. But she listened. "Your voice is like bells from heaven. Your laugh makes me want to cry in happiness. If I could not have you I would be your laugh. You make me want to burst so much I cry at night Ginny! I cry because I have you! I have the best! I have the most wonderful, beautiful, bright, intelligent, and just amazing woman loving me. And that makes me happy, and I know that if I die now, or tomorrow with you loving me, I would have died happy. I am the happiest man alive to have even laid eyes on you. It may be a sin to indulge yourself but when it comes to you I say screw it!" He said hugging her so tightly, she thought he might never let go. And that's how she wanted it.  
  
Valerie sat outside at the fountain crying over her sister. She and Seamus had talked about it earlier but she had to be by herself.  
  
She heard a voice. "Val?"  
  
Valerie's head shot around as she saw her sister. She ran to Alexis and embraced her, yelling, "Don't you ever do this to me again Alexis Jenkins!!!!! Never!!"  
  
Alexis apologized and showed her the letter she had received. They spent the rest of that hour talking about it. Alexis finally decided to walk inside for dinner as Seamus held his girlfriend.  
  
Alexis walked down the hallway and entered the great Hall. Thinking to herself, she said, Eeny, when seeing the first boy she deemed worthy. Meeny, when the second appeared. Miney when she saw the third. And out from no where came someone she expected least of all. Whoa!   
  
"Is that. you?" Alexis asked in wonderment as she saw him. He was standing there in a suit, a tuxedo even, he had the whole nine yards. The tie, the tux, the shoes, the.flowers? Yes, he had a bouquet of.. Lilies.  
  
"For you, my queen." He said kneeling and handing her the flowers. As he stayed in that position, he continued. "It would be my privilege to escort you to the upcoming dance. And it would do a great service to my ailing heart." He added.  
  
Alexis stood there, stunned and in amazement. "Why," She began. "Harry I would love to go to the dance with you." 


	27. A Guide To Impressing Alexis, Harry's be...

Draco smiled as Ginny's jaw dropped at the idea.  
  
"Are you kidding me?" She asked, a grin crawling across her light golden skin.  
  
"I am not." Draco replied. His seductive grin was expressed and his eyes glinted with excitement. "I messed up our first dance together, I messed it up completely. But now I want it back, so since I can't redo it, I will just fund another dance. I talked to Dumbledore and he agreed that it would be okay if we had a second dance this year."  
  
"You have got to be kidding me!" Ginny laughed.  
  
"I kid you not, love. Go to the dance with me, again?" Draco asked as he saw Ginny's lips separate a little.  
  
She nodded in reply and Draco took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. Then, for no reason Ginny could think of, Draco smiled. Not his regular 'I'm happy guess I could smile' smile. But the smile that he smiled when he wasn't just happy, but when he was relaxed and everything was going right. Ginny had seen this smile once before.  
  
She had seen it when someone said her name. Draco smiled like that then. He smiled like that now. Not a smile that was fake just for the sake of it. But a smile that said he was joyous and more than happy, but there were no words for it.  
  
"Ginny," He said. "I." He paused. A strand of Ginny's hair had fallen in her face. He pushed it, slowly back behind her ear, gently caressing her cheek as he did. He pulled her close and pressed his nose in her hair and breathed in all the smells he could. The sweet scent of roses and the lingering scent of the grass and the fresh clean air outside. The camellias he had gotten her that sat on her bedside table, and the smell of papaya from her lotion.  
  
"Ginny," He began again. "You smell like heaven. You taste like heaven and you look like an angel." Draco whispered into her hair. "I swear I dream of you every night. You are my religion. You remind me of all the things good in the world. With parents like mine, you are a heroine to me. You rescue me from all of their influences. I owe you my sanity though thinking of you all those years and not having you drove me near crazy. I love your eyes, your eyelids, your hair, and your back. I love that little thing you do when you're reading a good book and you start snapping. I love when you hum after you've just gotten out of class."  
  
"I have my own stalker." Ginny teased.  
  
"I love that you know how to make me smile like nothing could make me cry." He said pulling back so he could look into her eyes. Her eyes were like a whole other world to him. He could see all of what she was feeling when he gazed into her eyes. "I love that you make me want to be a better man than I am." He finished.  
  
"Draco," Ginny said. "You are the perfect man. You know when you love. You know who, you know how, and you know just when to make me want to cry in happiness like I do you. Draco, you may not know it but you have the same effect on me. I go to my room every day after seeing you and feel like a want to scream and dance. I want to be with you forever. I love you." She whispered at the end and looked up at his tall figure, gazed into his eyes, and for that time, they didn't need to kiss to show their love for one another. It could be seen passing through their gaze.  
  
Inside them, a burning feeling came up through their legs and scorched their hearts as they felt themselves come alive with love. There was a feeling inside they could never explain to anyone because there are no words to tell, to describe it. It was a feeling that could only be expressed by thinking of something you love and mix it in with excitement and happiness.  
  
Alexis was stunned by Harry's proposal. He stood and placed his hand behind her head. Another went to her back and they embraced slowly and he dipped her into a sweet and sensual kiss. As his lips went to hers Alexis was screaming inside, He loves me! He really loves me! As they stood back up, their gaze into each other's eyes was not broken.  
  
"If that doesn't prove I love you more than anything, I don't know what to do. Lexi, you drive me wild. You make me want to jump into the fountain to keep my head from spinning. You are everything to me. You make me forget I have not parents, you make me fall into a dreamt hat I never want to wake up from." Harry turned to the rest of the students and teachers in the Great Hall and called out, "I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT I LOVE ALEXIS JENKINS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN THE WOLRD!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Alexis blushed like she never had before. Her cheeks, her face, her hands, her legs, her arms, neck and back, her whole body blushed.  
  
"Look at that," Came Ginny's voice as she and Draco returned from the Astronomy tower. "Lexi's turned three shades of red and two shades of purple in a record three point five seconds!!"  
  
Everyone laughed and Alexis hugged Harry tightly, crying on his shoulder.  
  
"What's wrong babe? Did I embarrass you?" He asked pulling her away to look at her.  
  
"NO!" She yelled. And then smiled. "You just made me the happiest person alive!"  
  
(AN: okay, we needed the mush.)  
  
Ginny walked down the steps to the Great Hall that afternoon happy even though she had to do her potions homework.  
  
"Gins!" Came the voice of Alexis echoing through the room. As Alexis came running up a confused look came across Ginny's face.  
  
"What is it?" She asked looking at Alexis.  
  
"I love your boyfriend. This way it gives Harry a chance to go to the dance with me and maybe this time he won't botch it." Alexis giggled as she and Ginny walked to the Gryffindor table and sat down. "I swear it's like the boy needs A Guide to Impressing Alexis."  
  
"It would be helpful." Came Harry's voice behind them. He sat down next to Alexis and gave a quick peck on the neck.  
  
"Dude, no macking at the table." Ron said with his arm around Astella's waist.  
  
"What about physical intercourse?" Harry asked in return pointing to Ron's arm.  
  
"As long as it's not anything nasty."  
  
"Like picking the other's boogers?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Or,"  
  
"Alexis, I beg to Merlin you don't finish that sentence." Ron said holding up his hand. The group laughed. 


	28. Unraveling a mystery and seaweed wraps!

Ginny smiled happily as she skipped down the stairs with Alexis, Astella and Hermione by her side.  
  
"And then I want to go down to Hogsmeade and buy our dresses and shoes and then we can pick them up the day of the dance, get our hair done, get a manicure, pedicure, full body seaweed wrap, massage, and spend a day in the spa. What do you think?" Alexis finished with a grin.  
  
"I hope you're paying." Ginny replied, cocking her eyebrow.  
  
"No, Gins, I'm expecting YOU to pay. No offense." Alexis said in a drastically sarcastic tone, waving Ginny's comment off. "Of course! -I'll pay." She added.  
  
"Well, shall we go see what dresses they have?" Hermione asked stepping down from the staircase.  
  
"Dresses equal money. That's bad." Came Harry's voice behind them.  
  
"Not for you it isn't." Ron cut in, walking up and handing Astella a rose.  
  
"Why, Ron, how sweet." Astella swooned and Ginny rolled her eyes.  
  
"Those two are perfect for each other. Romantics." Ginny sighed.  
  
"For you, my Juliet." Came Draco's deep voice behind her. A tall, wide, slim covered board was put in front of her. "Let's look at it in the Observatory Tower, shall we?"  
  
Ginny could feel him smile in her hair.  
  
"You were saying?" Alexis asked with a grin." Strange how that tower has become the Lover's Lane of Hogwarts." She sighed. Harry gave her a look of confusion and replying to his unspoken question of what Lovers Lane was, She said, "Don't even ask, Harry."  
  
On the way up to the tower, Draco had draped his arm around Ginny's waist and told her about want he wanted to do with the Great Hall. Ginny smiled as she held the mystery board or so close to her chest.  
  
"It sounds great, Draco, it really does." She smiled uncontrollably. She twisted her hair around her finger as she listened to his divine details of the images in his mind.  
  
"Here we are." Draco said after a minute or two as they got to the top of the tower. "Well, open it." He nodded at the gift.  
  
Ginny's smile broadened and her face looked on as she pulled away at the satin clothe covering the present and revealed a hard wooden board under a canvas. On it was almost a perfect reproduction of Monet's 'Starry Night'. "Draco..." She began but couldn't finish.  
  
There were no words to explain it. She loved it, but more so, the work he put into to get it. She looked up into his deep blue eyes. She felt all her doubts and fears and sorrows about everything melt away. She felt the pain of life slip through her fingertips and the frustration from school melt away from her feet. Soon she was relaxed just from looking in his eyes.  
  
"You don't have to say anything, I just want you to like it." He said hugging her.  
  
"I do, I do, I love it." She nodded and felt the heat of his body sink into her from his shirt. She was now truly happy. "But Draco,"  
  
"Yes?" He asked pulling away.  
  
"You don't have to buy me all these gifts. In fact, please don't." She frowned. "It's just, I'm not reason enough to spend money on hand and foot. Let me just enjoy the relationship without being constantly reminded of your lack of poverty." She smiled up at him. "I don't mind having the ones I have though!"  
  
"Whatever you say!" He smiled down at her and then pulled her to him. She faltered a bit. She had to go see someone. "Draco, I have to go now, but I'll be back, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah okay." He nodded and then smiled as he watched her walk away.  
  
  
  
Ginny walked up the stone steps leading to a small apartment complex in a downtown area outside of Liverpool. As she sighed she took in her surroundings. There was a dirty window revealing the insides of a grocery store across the street and the streets had potholes and cracks filled with new tar.  
  
Ginny straightened her skirt and knocked on the door. She waited a moment smelling the bakery down the street before she heard movement inside. As the door opened, Sirius was revealed with a messy shirt and a pair of jeans.  
  
"Ginny?" He asked with a confused look on his face. "What are you doing here? Is anything wrong?"  
  
"Yes and no, can I come in?" Ginny asked with a pleading look on her face.  
  
"Yeah, sure come in!" Sirius nodded as he stepped aside and let Ginny walk inside. "What do you mean, yes, and no?"  
  
"I think, I think I want to," She sighed and sat down on the couch. "I think I want to marry Draco, Sirius. I mean, I want to spend the rest of my life with him, my feelings feel, defined now." She looked up at him. "Does that make sense?"  
  
"It always does when it never makes sense." Ginny shot him a confused look. When love makes sense, it doesn't end up being real. When it doesn't, it ends up being one of the purest loves you can find in a world like today."  
  
"That makes no sense, but I guess it does." Ginny looked down at her purse.  
  
"That's the idea." Sirius nodded as he took a seat next to her and wrapped hi arm around her shoulders. "Gins, life isn't supposed to make sense, we aren't here to make sense of life, not really. We're here to feel love for life and make happiness, which, we've ultimately failed to do anyways." Sirius shrugged and then smiled at her. Standing up he looked down at her, his face worn with pain, age, and fighting and whatever he did as a child. "Want something to drink?"  
  
"Water."  
  
"Water? Honestly! Haven't I taught you anything?" He smiled. "When you're offered a drink, ask for something alcoholic first!" He said jokingly.  
  
"Than how about a tequila shot?" Ginny laughed.  
  
"Sorry, water is all I have." Sirius shrugged and then left with smile. 


	29. No worries or strings attatched

Returning from Sirius', Ginny stopped by the three W's to check in with her brothers. Pushing open the door, a small bell ring letting the two know someone was entering the shop. As George looked up from his magazine, his lips curled into a smile.  
  
"Hey Gins!" He called and then turned, "Fred, Gins is here, come on out of the back!"  
  
"Be there in sec, George!" Ginny could hear Fred reply. He came out wiping his hands on his shirt that was now covered with dust as well as a few spots on his face. "So Gins, what are you here for?"  
  
"Stopping by, that's all." Ginny nodded as she leaned over the desk. "So, what's going on with you people?"  
  
"Nothing much, might go to that dance your school is having." Fred smiled.  
  
"What? And kill people?" Ginny smiled. The last time one of the twins had played a prank someone wound up in the hospital for over a month.  
  
"Not that severe, Gins. Gosh, what do you take your own brothers for?" George joked with a grin.  
  
"Not much really." Ginny replied. "Well," She glanced up at the clock and then down at her watch just to be sure. "I'd better be heading back. Good to talk to you two again, see you in a couple of weeks for vacation." Ginny waved goodbye to the two and then made her way back to Hogwarts.  
  
Ginny walked up the stairs to Hogwarts with a sweater tightly wrapped around her shoulders. She shivered slightly and then pushed open the door as the sun began to set slowly on the horizon.  
  
She walked into the Great Hall with a smile on her face as she sat down by Alexis.  
  
"You look happy, you and Draco haven't been doing anything kinky have you?"  
  
"Alexis!" Ginny tried to look shocked but smiled anyway. "Besides, you know a girl never kisses and tells. It's against our female code." Ginny took out two ponytail holders and tied her hair into two ponytails, each next to her ears.  
  
"Ginny, your hair is so pretty, I wish we could switch." Astella sighed as she smiled at Ginny.  
  
"Please! This hair is a trademark, if you had red hair you really WOULD be a Weasley. Besides, you grow accustomed to it after a while." Ginny smiled as Astella laughed slightly.  
  
"Hey there Ginny, Astella, Lexi." Harry walked up followed by Ron and a tall, mysterious looking man.  
  
"Hey Harry. Who's that?" Alexis asked as she stood up and kissed Harry on the cheek, much to his pleasure.  
  
"This is, well Alexis, this is.."  
  
"Sirius!" Ginny exclaimed looking up at him. "How did you get here?"  
  
"Ginny!" Sirius smiled happily, the circles under his eyes almost disappearing. "I called up Harry and I drove over here. Good to see you again." Sirius smiled as he gave Ginny a wink.  
  
"Ginny, you remember Sirius!" Harry exclaimed with a confused look on his face.  
  
"Yes." Ginny smiled with her eyes wide, searching for an alibi, " How could I forget him?"  
  
"Um, and this is-?" Alexis asked with a blank look on her face.  
  
"Alexis, this is Sirius Black, Sirius, this is Alexis." Harry introduced the two as Sirius and Alexis shook hands.  
  
"So I hear old Hogwarts is going to.." Sirius was cut off as Dumbledore walked up with a grin followed by a distraught looking Severus Snape.  
  
"Sirius my dear boy!" Dumbledore heartily laughed as Sirius and Dumbledore shook hands. "It's been too long. Glad to see you out of Azkaban." Dumbledore joked as Sirius laughed.  
  
"Me too. Severus, I figured you would be here to kick me off school grounds."  
  
"Grow up Black." Severus snapped as he rolled his eyes annoyed and turned away.  
  
"Good to see you too, Snape." Sirius smiled as Dumbledore shook his head at the memories.  
  
"Well, shall we?" Dumbledore asked as he led the way to his office.  
  
"Where are you going?" Ginny whispered to Sirius.  
  
"Just a little conference, don't worry about anything." Sirius smiled and followed Dumbledore and Severus out of the Great Hall.  
  
Ginny's eyebrows furrowed as her facial expressions went from happiness to suspician. "What would Snape and Sirius be doing in the same room?"  
  
"Dueling?" Harry asked as he and Ron sat down.  
  
"It would be likely, wouldn't it." Ron added. " Astella, what are you wearing to the dance?"  
  
"I'm not telling. It's a surprise." Astella smiled as Ron looked down at his plate and blushed.  
  
"Well then how am I going to know what to wear?"  
  
"Independence my dear boy." Alexis swung her arm around Harry and smiled at him before looking back at Ron. "That and a damn good imagination."  
  
"Thanks for the advice." Ron rolled his eyes and smiled over at Astella.  
  
"So," Ginny began and looked over at Draco who sat at the Slytherin table talking actively with the new boy. "Two days." She said counting out the days until the dance.  
  
The sunshine was bright as it covered Ginny with a blanket of light. She blinked at the vibrancy of it. She smiled as she heard a bird sing outside her window and she looked over at Alexis whos slept in her bed soundly with the headphones on, thought the cd had stopped hours before.  
  
Ginny shook herself awake as she walked into her bathroom and combed out her long red hair.  
  
Alexis woke an hour later and they both picked out an appropriate outfit for the day and walked out to the Great Hallo where Harry and Ron were waiting at the tables with Astella and Valerie.  
  
"Val, where's the boytoy?" Alexis asked with a grin as she took ehr spot on Harry's lap.  
  
"Quidditch, I swear his first love is Quidditch and his second his broom. I'm like in the sixth place after all the equipment." Valerie sighed. "I only wish I could move up a little. Just a little! This boy eats, sleeps and shits Quidditch and I've about had enough!" Valerie slammed her fists down on the table in anger.  
  
"Val! Chill! He loves, he justs likes Quidditch too." Ginny siad and smiled reassuringly before walking over to the Slytherin table upon seeing Draco.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy?" She asked as she walked up. Pansy shot her a sour look and Ginny cocked an eyebrow. "Draco, dear." She began as he looked up to her, now somewhat used to her 'antics'.  
  
She smiled and sat down on his lap, one leg on each side. She leaned in, her 'front bum' rubbing into his.. (cough cough) "lap".  
  
Pansy's look went to a deeply unhappy gaze as Ginny caressed Draco's lips with hers and then kissed his eyebrow. "Morning sunshine!" She smiled happily as Pansy stormed off followed by her posse.  
  
"Now why can't you say hello like that EVERY morning?" Draco asked with a grin on his face.  
  
"Because then I would be putting effort into the relationship." Ginny replied with a grin.  
  
  
  
Ginny walked down the hallway with her arm looped through Draco's as Alexis and Harry tagged behind.  
  
"I still can't believe him and her...." Harry looked ahead in disappointment.  
  
"Why do you care?" Alexis asked as she wrapped her arm around his waist.  
  
"Because Malfoy has always been an enemy. It's how we all identify him." Harry shook his head trying to explain.  
  
"All?" Alexis looked over at him questioningly.  
  
"Well, me, Ron, and others that met him first year anyways." Harry shrugged.  
  
"And does that make a difference in his character? Since I've known him he's just been a little arogant on his family and himself. That's about it. But I can't blame him, knowing his father." Alexis looked on solemnly  
  
"That's just it, I've lived with my Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia for years but I never turned out like him." Harry said with a worried look.  
  
"Oh, please Harry! You're a little protective of your ego whether you know it or not," Alexis slapped his arm playfully.  
  
"It's just, you grow up with someone so fragile like Ginny and you get worried about her. She was like a sister to me and if I had a sister I'd treat her the same way. But seeing Draco like he was up to fourth year, it's just too suspicious that he would go from asshole to hero in a year." Harry shook his head.  
  
"Harry, Ginny's a big girl. She may be in love with him but she knows when she gets hurt, someone's gone too far." Alexis said knowingly. "I mean, I've known her for the past two years or so and I've noticed a great difference in her maturity." (AN: And now in honor of the movie that just came out-Chamber of Secrets..drumroll please! ) Alexis looked down at her shoes and then stopped Harry for a moment. "No one really knows what happened between you and Ginny in the chamber of Secrets that day, but I've heard that that has changed the behavior between you two. Now I know you two have become close but you have to let ehr grow up."  
  
Harry nodded and they started walking again. "Alexis," He began and continued when she looked up at him. "I know I've been sensitive to Ginny lately but it's because she's grown up a lot. When I first met her she was a scared little girl and when I first met, I don't know if I've hated another student more. But the two of them, it just seems as if there are some strings attatched." 


	30. Leaving behind the certain Risks

Albus Dumbledore walked into his office followed by Sirius Black. Shadows followed them and danced along the walls and floor as the fire from the fireplace and the vibrance from Dumbledore's grand Phoenix, Fawkes, illuminated the room.  
  
"Sirius Black, curious to hear from you again so soon. And here's the question that lingers on my mind.." Albus began but Sirius' hand went up.  
  
"Albus, I'm here strickly on business so don't worry about any pranks or pulls." Sirius laughed. "But I am here on business as I have said, unthankfully, unpleasant business." Sirius nodded and smiled as Albus offered him the seat across from his desk. Sirius sat down and rubbed his brow with a heavy hand.  
  
"Sirius, I sense that you have something that needs to be said."  
  
"Albus, you have a knack of stating the obivous." Sirius said thrusting his hands to the arms of the chair and breathing deeply, in and out.  
  
"Sirius, things are lighter once they are off the chest." Albus coarsed as Sirius nodded.  
  
"Albus, I have a friend, in the Ministry and word has been tossed around that Lucius Malfoy may have a hand in recent.. Developments." Sirius paused and Albus nodded solemnly. "Many of the people there are worried and.." There was a knock at the door and Professor McGonagall walked in with a gloomy look on her face.  
  
"Albus, we have an issue to deal with at the moment, I'm afraid this conference will have to be detained momentarily." She said shakily in her cracked voice.  
  
"Very well, Sirius you will find accomidations in the northern tower, Professor," He added turning to McGonagall. "Please show him the way and then join me."  
  
"I will." Professor McGonagall nodded and turned to Sirius. Walking up the last stairs tothe room in the northern tower, McGonagall turned to Sirius and smiled at him. "Back again to Hogwarts are you?" She asked.  
  
"Yes, but it seems I came at a rather unfortunate time." Sirius nodded and smiled back.  
  
"Unfortunate news seems to be all over the place at the moment, I'm sorry I could not stay and talk longer, but I must join Albus." McGonagall nodded sloemnly as a goodnight to Sirius and walked down the stairs, disappearing beyond the curves.  
  
"Yes, well, I have to be returning soon." Sirius muttered to himself and then walked through the door to the room and closed it tightly behind him and locked it. The sound echoed through the halls around him.  
  
Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall sat in dismay as Arthur Weasley broke the news to them. "I'm so sorry I would have to do this to them, but with the rumors and words floating around seeming to become to life, I'm afraid I will not risk that danger for them, they are too important to me."  
  
"I understand, and the reason for this action saddens me so. I'm unhappy to see them leave and I hope once the threat is gone, I can see them back in school once more."  
  
"I too." Arthur nodded and shook hands with Dumbledore and McGonagall and bowed his head. "I shall get them, I will let them say their goodbyes but I would like them as far away from any of Lucius' heirs or kin as soon as possible. The risk is too great."  
  
"I understand completely." Dumbledore nodded.  
  
Ron Weasley stood outside in the sunshine as the feast so many students had filled up on ended and he was accompanied by Harry, Alexis, Valerie, Seamus, Astella, and Ginny and Draco. The wind blew back the girls's hair and the boys's jackets.  
  
"So what are you wearing for the dance?" Ginny asked turning to Alexis.  
  
"Ginny dear, you will see, we have to go and get it mended together remember? The one I bought was too long." Alexis said simply as she wrapped her arms around Harry's neck.  
  
"So now you have to go back and pay for another one?" Harry asked a little worried.  
  
"No silly, I gave it back and got another one. And that one needs mending, not enough pizazz." Alexis smiled as Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"So what do we do now?" Valerie asked as she comfortably sat on the lap of Seamus.  
  
"Well, my dear," Seamus began tickling Valerie playfully as she giggled. "You and I could find somewhere to go.." Seamus added lowering his tone as he got a mischevious grin on hs face.  
  
"Me and Seamus are going to go do some laundry." Valerie said and smiled as she led Seamus away. Seamus, waving bye to his friends with a happy look on his face.  
  
As they walked into Hogwarts, Arthur Weasley walked out. Ginny's and ron's faces became alarmed.  
  
"Dad?" Ginny asked as she sprinted over to him followed closely by Ron. "Dad what is it? Is Mum alright?"  
  
"Ron, Ginny, it's time, time, time.." Mr. Weasley stuttered to get the words out. "Time for you two to come home now." Arthur Weasley bowed his head...  
  
  
  
Albus Dumbledore stood up at the next meal and announced to the school the news. "Because of recent developments, Ginny and Ron Weasley went away for the time being. I'm afraid that also do to the incidents that have raised havoc in the news, Hogwarts may close. I suggest you owl your parents, and tell them, you are going home." 


	31. Returning to my humble abode

Smoke rose pleasantly out of the chimney as Arthur Weasley drove his three sons and his daughter home. As he slowed the car to a full park, Ron looked over at Ginny who quickly opened the car door and ran up to the house, through the front door, and up to her room.  
  
"I'm sorry Ron, I'm so, so sorry," Arthur said as he turned in his seat to look Ron in the eye.  
  
"It's not so much me, Dad, but Ginny. She's the one in a relationship with your worst enemy's son." Ron shrugged and walked up to the house.  
  
"Yes, yes, I know." Arthur said to himself before the rest of the family piled into the house. Arthur walked inside and looked into his wife, Molly's, eyes. "Dear, I think we may have a heart problem on our hands." He sat down at the table and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index and thumb.  
  
"Which one?" Molly asked as she sat down and rubbed his arm.  
  
"Ginny." Arthur sighed and stood up to grab a glass of water.  
  
"She is the special one. You know what they say, girls are more tender than boys." Molly walked over and she and Arthur embraced. "You're home now. They're home now. Don't worry so much; she's got things to figure out as well as the rest of our children for the rest of their lives. And so do we." She said with a wise smile and told Arthur she would talk to Ginny before dinner.  
  
Molly walked up the stairs and walked to the end of the hall. She lightly knocked and the door and walked in.  
  
"Ginny dear?" She asked as she cracked the door open. "Ginny, are you okay?"  
  
"NO!" Ginny exclaimed and buried her head into her mother's shoulder as she rushed over to her. "Mum, why did I have to go, why did we have to go?" She asked and then cried harshly. Her mother patted her back softly and motherly as to no surprise of Ginny.  
  
A few of Ginny's whimpers escaped from her and she shook violently. "Ginny, dear, you have to understand that your father has the best intentions in mind he just wants you and the boys safe. You know that."  
  
"He makes it hard to understand why he does those things. It's like when I was a third year, he pulled me out because of the flu was going around in school. That was foolish, mum, and he can be that way." Ginny said crossing her arms indignantly.  
  
"Ginny Weasley, your father may not always make the decisions you like but he makes the ones that are best for the family so don't you EVER call him foolish again. His actions may be sometimes but your father knows what he's doing whether you think so or not. Now, come down to eat and NO temper tantrums." Molly said sternly.  
  
"Yes, mother." Ginny nodded. As she stood she rushed over to her mother's open arms.  
  
"Ginny dear, your father had you children in mind. You know that." Ginny nodded and walked down with her mother to dinner. Ron sat at the table with a solemn look on his face as Percy tried to cheer him up the best he could. It didn't seem to be working very well though.  
  
Ginny walked over to Ron and wrapped her arms around his neck whispering, "I love you big brother." Ron's lips curved into a soft smile as he hugged her back and she sat down next to him.  
  
"Daddy, I'm sorry for how I acted earlier." Ginny smiled over at her father who sat at the head of the table. He smiled back at her and patted her hand.  
  
"I know that this isn't what you wanted to happen, but I didn't want this to happen either dear. Sometimes life gives you lemons, and you have to make lemonade." Arthur shrugged.  
  
"Or shove them down your shirt to make your boobs look bigger." Came a voice from outside the open back door. As the light lit up the face of the stranger, Ginny's lips curved into a smile.  
  
"Lexi!" She exclaimed and ran over to her friend, throwing her arms around her happily. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Let's just say my father wasn't exactly happy that I was coming home early. Either of us." Alexis added as she smiled. "Hey, Harry how's that coming dear?" She asked as she looked back out the door up into the sky where Harry seemed to be struggling with getting his broom down.  
  
"Great! Just great.." He muttered as he finally crawled into the tree outside Ginny's window and shimmied down the trunk like Alexis had. "That broom ain't coming down." Harry shook his head as he walked over, hand scratching the back of his head. He smiled as he saw Ginny and leaned in to give her a little hug. "Hey, Gins." He whispered as he pulled back.  
  
"What are you two doing here?" She asked quizzically as she looked from one to the other. "And how did you get here besides on an ornery broom?"  
  
"Well, see, neither of us wanted to go home so we thought, where could we go where we could never in a million and a half years be turned back? And so we came here." Alexis smiled.  
  
"Well, where's Val? And why didn't you just bring Stella with you?" Ginny asked with a bit of a laugh as she stepped out of the doorway to let Harry in.  
  
"Val is at Seamus' and Stella? She's little Miss Princess living on happy hill in Beaver Cleaver land. We didn't need to rescue her." Alexis waved the subject off and upon removing her cloak, sat down at one of the empty seats at the table with a grin. "So what're we having for dinner?" At this Molly Weasley broke out into laughter as she brought the dinner to the table.  
  
"Well." She trailed off and looked around at the now almost full table minus two seats that were normally used whenever Bill or Charlie came home but with Bill and Charlie half way across the world, the Weasley's didn't have to worry too much about that. "Let's enjoy this meal. I suppose that Harry can bunk with Ron in Fred and Georges room and Ginny, you have that blow up bed that Cousin Michelle gave you don't you?"  
  
"Yes, mum." Ginny smiled and looked over at Alexis mouthing the word, "sleepover". Alexis grinned and subtly pretended to clap her hands right above the edge of the table.  
  
"Well then," Molly smiled looking around at the full house. "Eat up!"  
  
Dinner was over quickly since Ron and Harry ate almost everything on the table. Molly scolded Ron as Arthur shook his head seeing as he had eaten quite a bit of the meal himself. Ginny and Alexis hurried up to Ginny's room to set up the airbed and put some of Alexis' stuff up while Ron and Harry moved some of Ron's things into Fred and George's room.  
  
Ginny sighed as she fell back on her bed and looked over at Alexis who looked up from her comfy new airbed. "Well, school's out early." Ginny muttered and turned away to look up at the ceiling with a sad look on her face. She missed Draco. She missed having his arms around her. She wondered where he was.She was so much distracted by her thoughts that she didn't notice Harry walk in to say goodnight. She didn't notice Ron wave goodnight from the hall. She didn't notice Alexis turn the light off and sink into her sleep with her headphones on. As Ginny stared up at the ceiling, she almost didn't notice she was home. 


	32. Threats in the shadows, brothers come ho...

Draco walked through the room with his hands behind his back and an upset look on his face. Two hours after Ginny had left, his father had arrived, pulling him from school, also; which, Draco found somewhat unusual since his father was the one posing the threat.Well, Voldemort, but they were in on it together, Draco had found that out long ago. To him , it was the inevitable that his father had 'gone to the dark side'.  
  
"Draco," His father said as he walked into the hollow room closing the door behind him. "It's time for a little father-son talk."  
  
"Terrific, who's going to be the father?" Draco asked sorely as a sneer swept across his father's face.  
  
"Don't make trouble, son, or I might just have to let Dumbledore know you won't be returning to school." Lucious smiled evilly as Draco rolled his eyes but kept quiet for the time.  
  
"Don't be so quick to assume I have done the wrong thing. Draco, you have to understand that a Weasley is nothing, and neither is a Weasley's relatives."  
  
"So if Ginny's parent's where rich she would be absolutely delightful?!" Draco snapped back.  
  
"Now, you're catching on my boy." Lucious said with a sarcastic hint in his voice. "Now, come to the study, we must speak where no one can hear us." Lucious said motioning his hands as if to beckon his son.  
  
"Would it be wise for me to do that?" Draco raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Stop your incessant ignorant comments, boy, and start walking!" Lucious exclaimed with a new evil confidence in his voice. Something Draco had never heard before.  
  
Inside the floor to ceiling wooden walls, Draco sat at his father's desk as Lucious walked to and fro in front of the blazing fire. "Draco, you need to listen without comments. Now, I have been assisting and old friend of mine run his business while he was away, now that he is back he has seen your tremendous responsibility and has invited you to help him in his business like I have."  
  
"And if I refuse?" Draco hissed.  
  
"You see, that's thing, you can't. You will take the next train to Limerick and begin your training under his authority. No questions asked. And then he will assign to you a mission."  
  
"I refuse to become another mindless zombie death eater like you!" Draco muttered as he stood to his father.  
  
"Sit down!" Lucious' voice rang and echoed throughout the room, causing an uneasy stir in Draco. This was not the father he had the last he had seen him.  
  
"Who are you?" Draco asked with a hint of fear under his tone. "What have you done with that twit of a father of mine?"  
  
"Well, seems as if someone has finally caught on to all the hints being dropped in his way. Welcome to the real world Draco and you'll do as I command you to, as I said, no questions asked." All of a sudden the shadows from the flames raging in the fire engulfed the figure of Lucious and as they pulled back revealed the mighty Voldemort, his eyes gleaming a sinister green. His skin seemed itself to writher with evil as the shadows from the fire played across his scarred face like demons in the pits of hell. "Draco, Draco, Draco, so little time for you to learn what is good for you. Listen, boy, you will listen to me or your little girlfriend gets it, understand?" (Okay, author here, I know that sounds a little Wizard of Oz but I didn't know what else to put.)  
  
"What do you want from me?" Draco asked, his voice quivering under the shadow of Voldemort.  
  
"Bring Virginia Weasley here, to this house, and your task will be halfway fulfilled." Voldemort hissed.  
  
"What do you want with her you monster?!" Draco lashed out standing to face Voldemort, but his anger proved not strong enough as he sat in fear again. His eyes narrowed and his hands twitched as they clutched the leather clad arms of the chair.  
  
"THAT will be discussed later. For now you have a job to do.Or do I need to bring your father in this as well?" Voldemort sneered. Although Draco hated his father, he had that son-like unconditional love for him. He could feel his heart plummet from his chest.  
  
Ginny sat on her bed as the storm outside passed along bringing the winds and black clouds around the Weasley abode. She sighed as her eyes wandered out the window and over the details of this familiar countryside. She wasn't pleased that, before Alexis had drifted on to sleep, she had told Ginny about Hogwarts being deemed unsafe.  
  
Even though she better understood her father's actions and no longer labeled them as rash, she still felt a terrible pang when she thought of Hogwarts and not being there. She looked out at the sky again and felt the sudden urge to grab her broom and soar out of that window, over the waving grasses. She bowed her head. She knew that wasn't an option. She was confined to the house.  
  
A loud noise rang through the house as the kitchen door swung open. Ginny rushed to the window to see a car that belonged to Fred and George and a few shadows dancing across the lawn as the light in the kitchen popped on. Ginny rushed downstairs to find bother her brother's standing in the kitchen with solemn looks on their faces.  
  
Walking into the room she heard the last piece of something Fred was saying. "...They closed down the entire Alley, everything, even the Cauldron." As she stepped off from the last step on the staircase a loud thud was heard as she lost her balance.  
  
"Gins? What are you doing up?" George asked as he walked over to give her a hug followed by Fred.  
  
"I heard you two. What's wrong? What about the alley?" She asked looking at them.  
  
"Gins.what's wrong with you it's three in the bloody mor-" Alexis was rubbing her eyes as she wandered down the steps but froze at the site of Fred and George. "A family reunion I didn't know about or something?"  
  
"Go on to bed you two.." Molly said in her hairnet and nightdress as she waved them up the steps. Everyone in the house had woken up. Arthur sighed as he walked over to Harry and Ron who too, had wandered down in their pajamas.  
  
"Harry? What're you doing here? And Alexis?" Fred asked looking at each of them and shaking his head confusedly.  
  
There was no explanation at the time. There was no need. They had all been brought here by a series of events...  
  
That's 32! I'm almost done...winding down to the climax point! Think you know what's gonna happen? DOUBT IT! But I'm gonna make a deal with you, I'm ending this baby by the end of summer..and hopefully I'll get some new reviewers! 


	33. Trickery in the dark

Ginny was again in the comfortable position under her covers. Fred and George had told the whole story since by the time everyone was up; it was useless to send them to sleep without information. Of course the adults in the abode were given slightly more detail then others. It was true; the alley had been closed down. Apparently, someone had set some sort of device off in one of the public stores and gave everyone in the community quite a scare. With a sigh, Ginny moved out of the bed to her window to look out over all there was before her. This was getting to be too much for her. All of it, no Draco, no Hogwarts, no friends besides Alexis. Not that Alexis wasn't good enough or anything mind you, but variety is nice.  
  
With a silent cry for help she made her way across the wooden floor that brought chills up her spine from her bare feet. With each step she got closer to the door. She didn't know why but something was calling her outside. Something, she didn't know what. What was it? It seemed so familiar to her. Something from her past maybe? No, it was just familiar like that. What could it be?  
  
She was now in the kitchen, the door to outside in plain site. What was she doing? Going after a feeling? Well, it wasn't like she hadn't done something like that before, right? I mean, Draco was a feeling and that didn't turn out wrong.  
  
She reached the door and in a swift movement was out in the grass. The night air was blowing about her red hair with delight as her fair skin seemed to glimmer under the moon. It was almost a week after the new moon so there wasn't much of a moon that night, but that didn't mean there wasn't light abound. She shivered lightly at the new chill biting at her skin and turned to return to the warmth of the house. As her eyes fell upon the door the wind kicked up and the wooden frame shook, the door shutting tightly closed.  
  
Ginny's heart dropped. That wasn't something that needed to happen to her at this time. She didn't need to be scared to death by the wind. Bad wind, very, very, very bad wind. With a small gulp she continued on. She looked to her sides to make sure no one was there as she walked up to the door. However, her hand reached out to take the knob and it wouldn't turn.  
  
"What's going on?" She called into the night air. "Who are you? What do you want?" She was left in the silence of the night for second and minutes on end. Thoughts roamed in her head that shouldn't be there, the worst case scenario etc. until she heard and was relieved.  
  
"Ginny?" That voice was rich and deep and so, so caring to her. She smiled immediately and turned to look for the shadow in the air, but there was none. Her brows furrowed for a second before her smile returned all the same.  
  
"Draco? Where are you?" She called and in a split second he was there, before her, a grin on his beautiful features. He too was illuminated by the small sliver of the moon. "There you are baby." She trailed off and tossed her arms around him. He felt so warm against her body. Why couldn't he have been there earlier?  
  
"Ginny, can I. I wanna take you somewhere." He whispered into her ear and tucked a lock of hair behind her it gently. Ginny nodded in return and followed him away from the low hanging branches of the family tree beside the kitchen door and in moments she was on his broom in the air, taking off into the glorious night.  
  
Draco sneered as his muscles jerked against the ropes. How dare that snake of a man! He couldn't even finish the idea in his head for fear of it coming true. He hadn't agreed to anything and to Voldemort, he had taken too much time to decide anything. So with that, Voldemort tied Draco to a chair and left him there, going off to fulfill Draco's duty instead of Draco himself. "If you want the job done at all, sometimes you have to do it yourself." Voldemort had trailed off, leaving the room and Draco.  
  
"GINNY!!!" Draco yelled in grief, the ropes rubbing his skin raw until blood began to seep out under the cord. "Ah!" he bit back his pain as he clamped his teeth upon his bottom lip. What was Voldemort thinking of doing?  
  
((Sorry it took me so so so so so long!!!!!!!! I'm lazy! There was school! If any of you can think up a better excuse I'd love to hear it!!!!!!)) 


	34. My little adeui I bet I didn't spell tha...

Yeah, I know, just as the story was getting good the author got lazy. Great right? Well it's not that I'm lazy, it's that this story has been spiraling downwards for quite some time. I apologize to the dedicated readers since this story had potential which I'm sure I pissed on.  
  
All in all, it was great writing this story but I'm sad to say that because my new G/D fic is up and is so much more realistic then this one (and so far, oh so less sappy) that will be dedicated my attention when HP fics are concerned. Check it out; it's titled "it was likely in that way". I like it, you should too.  
  
I'm gonna go ahead and tell you all what I had in mind for this story. I had invisioned the golden trio (Hermione, Harry and Ron) chained to stone walls with Ginny and Draco as Lucious and Voldemort tried to take over the world and what not. Harry gets free, frees Ron, Hermione and Ginny and they debate over Draco (dear lord.) Ginny gets to free Draco, they all four battle Lucious, Ginny and Draco can't find Voldemort and neither can the fab little trio. Everything is left with the burning question, "Where did the ugly bald guy go?" End of story. Literally. It ends with Ginny and Draco a couple at Hogwarts and Voldemort still on the loose.  
  
Why should I attempt to knock him off anyway? I don't know how. Wouldn't know how. Anyway, so thanks for reading THIS far, I've enjoyed all the reviews and for petes sake and my sanity, someone read and review my new G/D fic. I actually think it's better then this one. 


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